Dubai Beaches
Whether you want to have a romantic walk along the beach, have a posh beach-party with your friends, enjoy a family beach holiday, indulge in adrenalin pumping water-sports, snorkel into the beautiful underwater world of Arabian Gulf, take a selfie with Dubai’s picture-perfect skyline, or just want to lay down for a genuine tan – Dubai beaches have something for everyone.
Home to dozens of beaches, all equally beautiful, relaxing and exciting at the same time, Dubai will leave you spoilt for choices when it comes to picking up the perfect beach. Some beaches are more luxurious than the others, some attract more people, while others have underwater beauty; but all of them have one thing in common: they all have crystal clear blue water, bluer than the sky even!
Let’s have a look at the top beaches of Dubai, and what they have in store for you.
Jumeirah Beach
Many tourists recognize Dubai by the iconic Burj Al Arab Hotel that stands with all its glory during the day and glows with beautifully changing colors at night. Jumeirah Beach (also known as Jumeirah Open Beach) gives you the perfect view of the Burj (Burj means a high-rise in Arabic) and lets you enjoy a sunset you may never forget.
Besides romantic evening strolls, lively barbecues and peaceful family picnics, you can enjoy water skiing and paragliding while your kids can enjoy the kids’ play area. You may find people jogging, swimming, boat riding and playing Volleyball. And if the blue water, white beaches, and green gardens were not enough to keep you happy, there are also a bunch of nice cafes along the sea front to make your visit even more enjoyable.
The Jumeirah Beach has a beautiful jogging track, but it does not have any track for cyclists. You can find clean changing areas (depending on who went before you!) and the beach can be accessed by disabled persons as it has ramps and designated parking spaces for them.
Located along the Jumeirah Beach Road, the Jumeirah Beach has a one-kilometer long slice of the Dubai coast and is one of the most visited beaches in Dubai. The beach, which was awarded a Blue Flag status for its cleanliness, is in close proximity to many good hotels and is located next to the Hilton Beach Club.
The Beach (JBR)
If you think beaches are fun, then wait till you visit The Beach. It is not just any beach, it is The Dubai-version of a dream beach – beautiful, luxurious, classy, fun and something that leaves every tourist super- impressed!
Being Dubai’s most happening beach, The Beach is a very well-planned collection of activities catering to all age brackets. It has a massive underground parking lot and a plethora of stuff awaiting you when you take the lift (or escalator) to the ground floor. Although it is paid parking, you get it waived if you dine at one of their restaurants (which is something you don’t want to miss).
You can enjoy the turquoise blue water and white sandy beaches by indulging in water sports such as Kayaking, Jets Ski, Fly Board, Aqua Fun Slide, Paddle Board, Sea Breacher (a submersible motorized watercraft) and the floating Bouncy Castle which is anchored in the water. And if that is not enough, you can go for the land sports like Yoga, Tennis, Rugby, Cricket, Volleyball, Frisbee – all at the beachside! There is a beautiful walking track with some amazing free of cost workout machines. You can benefit from the beach gym and group cycling classes, or ride a camel. If Alice found hers in a cartoon movie, The Beach is definitely your real-world wonderland.
If you want to enjoy Dubai’s nightlife, this is the place to be. The cinemas and shopping areas are a big plus, but what makes it more special is the night market. You can find some of the most amazing stuff to take back home – unique, beautiful and handcrafted. Did I mention the out-of-this-world restaurants? Some top restaurants from around the world have staked a place here and who doesn’t get hungry after a long day at the beach? And of course, you can always go for some snacks, ice-creams or juice from the beautiful carts in case you want something light.
The toilets and shower-areas are super-clean with a very efficient staff. You can find a number of nicely carpeted and very comfortable prayer-rooms (as UAE is a Muslim country) and non-Muslims are welcome to enter. Like most of the tourist places in Dubai, The Beach was specially designed to be disability friendly.
Right in parallel is The Walk, a promenade at Jumeirah Beach Residences (JBR), which is one of the most go-to places in Dubai. You will find a large number of designer shops, international restaurants, and some world-class luxury hotels (Ritz Carlton, Hilton, Sheraton, Sofitel, to name a few) here.
Jebel Ali Beach
The Jebel Ali Open Beach is a quieter beach destination as it is not properly signposted and hence could be a little difficult to find. However, this is what adds charm to the beach as it is less crowded with only a few families with their barbecue/ camping equipment.
You can find lots of kite-surfers here. Since there are no proper water sports facilities on this beach, the locals love to bring their own equipment and you can often find them jet-skiing.
Dogs are officially banned on the beach but you will see a lot of dog-walkers as there is no one to make sure people follow the rules. For this reason, this beach is often referred to as “Jebel Ali Dog Beach”.
The only way to reach this beach is by car. The parking is free but on the sand. You can find Jebel Ali Beach 30 minutes from the Dubai Marina towards the south of Dubai (going towards Abu Dhabi). It is situated between the Lama Beach Club and Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa.
Unfortunately, there are no toilets, shower or changing areas here. You will not find any cafes or restaurants so you are on your own (the families who visit bring their own food). Also, the visitors are advised not to swim too far as it could be dangerous for the swimmers due to unsupervised water-sport activities going on. It is a free beach, so you cannot complain much. Everyone comes to enjoy and the definition of enjoyment may vary. But still, you will find lifeguards here for your safety.
Kite Beach
If the name still didn’t give it away, Kite Beach is a paradise for kite lovers. Sports enthusiasts will also love the adrenaline-pumping activities such as jet skiing, skateboarding, beach volleyball, banana boating and swimming. You can also enjoy an outdoor trampoline, mini bungee jumping, a skate park and a walking track. Tourists can also enroll in a 2-days’ diving course in order to explore Dubai’s underwater world. Once you have worked up an appetite, you can head towards a number of restaurants and cafes situated along this 2-kilometer long coast.
Like many other beaches, Kite Beach also has lifeguard facilities along with clean shower areas and toilets. Families can enjoy a lovely picnic here while couples can go for long romantic strolls. And while you are there, snap a picture with the beautiful Burj Al Arab building which looks majestic at daytime and magical at night.
The Kite Beach is also known as Wollongong Beach as it is just behind the University of Wollongong, Dubai. The entry to this beach is free, and there is ample space for you to park your car. You can reach it easily from the Al Manara Road Junction where it is located just off the Jumeirah Beach Road (near Jumeirah Beach Hotel).
Need more beaches?
If you are in Dubai for sun, sand, and sea, you can go to almost any beach to enjoy. Every beach is clean, family-friendly and gives you a holiday feel. There are a lot of other beaches in Dubai which offer some equally good sports activities. Be careful about your attire, though. You can wear a bikini at the beach, but in the nearby cafes and restaurants, you need to cover yourself modestly.
Sunset Beach and Al Mamzar Beach
Sunset Beach can be found next to the Kite Beach which offers some really good water sports and beach activities. Then there is good old Al Mamzar Beach – something that children in Dubai grew up visiting. The La Mer Beach, however, is the one that will give The Beach some serious competition. Being Dubai’s newest beach-side with international brands opening their restaurants there every other day, La Mer is developing into a crowd’s favorite already, though it is still in its initial phase.
So which beach are you going to?