Dubai, a luxury hub in the United Arab Emirates, is a dream travel destination for many people. The world associates this beautiful city with luxury and high-class spots and lifestyles. It is home to sandy and snowy-white beaches that locals and tourists can enjoy at any time of the year.
Most of them are private and target high-end groups. However, the government has worked towards providing free public beaches. Here are the six best beaches in Dubai.
1. JBR Open Beach
Jumeirah Beach Residence is the biggest and one of the best beaches in Dubai. It extends throughout the entire JBR area. Additionally, it is a walking distance of popular attractions, such as Dubai Marina Mall.
JBR’s convenience is a factor that contributes to its popularity. However, this factor is also a flaw because it causes the beach to be bustling and sometimes overcrowded. Visitors cannot get a good spot if they do not arrive early in the morning.
The sand on this beach is white, soft, and powdery. Additionally, the water is warm and blue-green. The beach places lifeguards on duty and surrounds the swimming areas with buoys.
At JBR beach, people can access various facilities, such as shops and restaurants. Additionally, there are playgrounds and fairground rides for children to enjoy.
There are also multiple spots where visitors can rent water toys, bikes, or scooters. This beach also has beautiful patios, green grass, and many other places where visitors can eat and picnic.
The shallow area is approximately four feet deep. It is perfect for relaxing. Visitors who plan to visit this spot for an entire day can watch the golden sunset and magnificent views of the sun plunging behind the ocean.
Jumeirah Beach Park, like most beaches in Dubai, is open 24/7. However, visitors cannot swim after sunset. On Monday, only children and women can access it.
2. Marina Beach
If you are around JBR, you shouldn’t miss Marina Beach. As the name suggests, it’s set in Marina, another luxury residential area of this fabled city.
It provides views of Bluewater – Dubai’s newest artificial island, home to the tallest and largest observation wheel – Ain Dubai. Another great feature of Marina Beach is its proximity to a plethora of fancy cafés, restaurants, shops, and shopping malls.
Like other beaches nearby, it features soft white sand and warm, calm waters, so you don’t have to worry about your safety. In any case, there are lifeguards on duty always happy to help. Additionally, there are palm trees that offer shade to visitors.
If you prefer to be active rather than just lay around, you can engage in various watersports. Marina Beach is simply an amazing beach with all the amenities the city has to offer.
3. La Mer
La Mer is one of the best beaches in Dubai, featuring multiple attractions. It has countless options for leisure, entertainment, and vacations.
Developed in 2017, La Mer is suitable for individuals and large groups. It offers a safe and enjoyable beach experience through various water sports and beachfront dining. Additionally, there is an open-air mall where people can go shopping.
La Mer features a playground and waterpark for children. It also has a water park where adults can cool their bodies off on a hot day.
Moreover, those who desire to have a break from the beach can watch a movie at the cinema. Alternatively, they can go on a boat ride or rent a stand-up paddleboard.
Another advantage of this beautiful sandy beach is that it has readily-available accommodation. Visitors can stay in the nearby apartments or the Rove La Mer Beach Hotel.
La Mer has several beach clubs, all with different amenities. For example, Sea Level has many sun lounge rentals and luxury mini beach houses.
These houses are air-conditioned and have mini fridges for drinks and snacks. The amenities allow customers to enjoy the beach comfortably and in style.
There are many palm trees along the beach’s edge for important shade. Fortunately, workers clean and groom the beach area every morning and several times during the day. Moreover, there are lifeguards to ensure safety.
This beach is free, but visitors have to pay for parking. Sometimes, customers can get permission for free parking if they spend a minimum amount of money at the shops, clubs, or restaurants on the beach.
4. Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach, also known as Umm Suqeim, is among the best surfing beaches in Dubai. The small and medium waves are safe for surfing beginners.
This beach is located near Kite Beach and opposite Jumeirah Beach Road. Tourists can access it via Jumeirah Road and Al Thanya Street.
Sunset is the perfect location for people who want to surf, swim, or spend their afternoon in the water rather than shopping in the malls. It is also convenient for those who want to enjoy their soft drinks while listening to the noise of the ocean waves.
It has various infrastructure and amenities, such as showers, Wi-Fi, and changing cubicles. Moreover, it has a short floodlit section for people who prefer nighttime swimming.
However, these amenities might be inadequate or below the expected standards, considering that Sunset Beach is a free public beach. For example, the beach has no shaded areas that can help visitors cool themselves off on a hot sunny afternoon.
Another fantastic amenity and selling point for Sunset Beach is the communal library. Here, visitors can borrow and donate books.
As the name suggests, the sunset views on this wide sandy beach are epic. It is also perfect for taking a photo with Burj Al Arab as the background. Enjoying the dusk and watching the changing sky colors as the sun descends into the Arabian Gulf is exciting.
Sunset Beach is among the first choices for beach-goers who enjoy smaller crowds. Some people prefer jogging on the running track along the beach, while others prefer to take a peaceful walk along the beachfront.
5. Al Mamzar Beach Park
This is a great family beach in Dubai. It is suitable for a day out for small and large groups.
The entry fee is approximately $1.50 per person, but the experience they get is worth the money. It is important to note that entry to this beach is free for kids under two years and individuals with special needs.
The entry fee allows visitors to access different amenities, such as beach volleyball, water sports, and barbecue pits. Other facilities accessible on Al Mamzar Beach Park include showers and changing rooms.
Guests can rent beach cabins, umbrellas, sun beds, and air-conditioned beach tents. There is a grassy area where they can perfectly perch up the tents. The palm-lined running tracks make this Dubai beach an excellent choice for fitness enthusiasts.
The park area features four beach areas. It also has a picnic area, two swimming pools, and a playground for the children. Due to the scorching weather in summer, there is a section that is open for swimming during the night. There are also multiple shaded spots that help guests to escape the direct summer heat.
Mondays and Wednesdays are Ladies’ Days, meaning that only ladies can access the beach on those days. However, it is also open to kids below four years. People planning to visit Dubai should also note that Al Mamzar Beach Park gets crowded on Fridays and Saturdays.
Besides the entry fee, visitors using the interior parking space must also pay. Alternatively, they can park their vehicles for free outside the park gate.
6. Kite Beach
Kite Beach is another popular public beach in Dubai. It is located near the Jumeirah neighborhood and on the northern end of Umm Suqeim beach.
This beach is wide and flat. Guests can use the available space for various outdoor activities like yoga and volleyball.
Being windy and exposed makes this beach convenient for sports enthusiasts. It is also the perfect location for food lovers and people who enjoy basking in the sun.
For this reason, those seeking to kite surf or try out different water sports during their vacation in Dubai should consider visiting this beach. This might sound unfair to those interested in this sport but have never tried it before. Luckily, there is a kite surfing school that offers beginner classes on the beach.
Kite Beach is a fun-filled beach with many clubs, parks, and ice cream stalls. Sometimes, being active on the beach seems like a lot of work and effort for some people.
In that case, it is okay to find a nice spot on the beach and soak in the sun. Visitors can rent umbrellas and sun beds and view Burj Al Arab. However, it is essential to know that the sand on Kite Beach is coarse with many shells.
The availability of different types of food is another reason why many people on vacation in Dubai love visiting Kite Beach. Restaurants on the beach have multiple food choices, especially for the people who prefer the western franchise selections.
Most of these restaurants collaborate with the beach clubs and deliver the food to the customers’ umbrellas. This helps to ensure that guests have something to snack on while they enjoy the beach.
Kite Beach is also famous because of the many food trucks that assemble there during the day and in the evening. Multiple cafés run along this beautiful place.
This Dubai beach is a destination for individuals and families. It is home to beautiful resorts, such as Jumeirah Beach Hotel, that offer accommodation. The guests can access Wild Wadi Waterpark and other nearby attractions like Ski Dubai.
7. Al Sufouh Beach
Also known as Black Palace Beach or the Secret Beach, Al Sufouh Beach is a place that holds a legendary status among many Dubai residents. It sits between Palm Jumeirah development and Burj Al Arab hotel.
This raw and wild beach is a perfect option for people planning to spend more relaxing time with their friends or family. This is because it allows guests to escape the busy city life without sacrificing the magnificent Burj Al Arab and Palm Jumeirah views.
As the name “Secret Beach” suggests, this drive-up spot is usually hard to find and access. However, it offers an excellent beach experience due to the calm waters and stunning sunsets. Al Sufouh Beach has golden sand that slopes into the blue water.
Al Sufouh Beach is free. However, it lacks essential amenities like bathrooms, changing rooms, and lifeguards on duty.
Umm Suqeim Beach
Umm Suqeim Beach is the place to be if you want to take Instagram-worthy photos of the Burj Al Arab, Dubai’s gorgeous seven-star ultra-luxury hotel. Here, near the Burj, is another long, flat beach that extends into the sea.
There are few basic amenities such as lifeguard stations, restrooms, showers and changing rooms. There are also small patches of lush grass, covered picnic areas and playgrounds. There is a beach library here, which is unique to Umm Seqeim. You can borrow a variety of books, and there is a cozy reading room with beanbags.
Umm Suqeim is a public beach open 24 hours a day. Only a handful of beaches in Dubai have nighttime lighting that allows swimming. The Smart Power lights, powered only by small wind turbines and solar energy, turn on at dusk and go off at midnight. Swimming is prohibited after midnight.
Why visit Dubai?
Every year, Dubai attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world. Besides enjoying the extraordinary beaches, there are multiple reasons one should visit this popular destination. Here are some of them.
World-class shopping
Dubai is home to many modern and air-conditioned malls and departmental stores. These shopping facilities feature popular brands and the latest fashions.
See the desert
Dubai was sand before it evolved into the unique city it is today. People come here for a desert safari or to camp in the desert.
Cosmopolitan lifestyle combined with local culture
Dubai offers a perfect combination of the cosmopolitan life and traditions of the local culture. For example, there are various historical sights, luxurious automobiles, and impressive skyscrapers.
Dubai’s nightlife
The nighttime fun is another reason why people, especially those who love to party, visit Dubai. The city has countless bars and nightclubs that are open every night.
Adventure
Dubai is one of the best places that allow one to experience marine life. The city offers a piece of heaven for snorkelers, swimmers, and scuba divers. One can also visit Dubai to go skydiving or ride a hot balloon.
In summary, Dubai is undoubtedly a unique place and travel destination. This prestigious city definitely has something for everyone.