TOP 5 Best Beaches in Dubai

Hello everyone! If you’re reading this article, you’re either recently arrived in Dubai or planning to come here soon and are looking for the best beach. You might be interested in some secret spot where only locals relax, or a beach that is mainly visited by local residents. In short, you’re looking for a beach that can be called the best of the best — one that isn’t shown on the map.

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But I have to disappoint you right away: there’s no such thing here. In Dubai, every square centimeter is monitored. If there’s a beach, it’s either private or public, and marked on the map — everything is as transparent as it can be. Nevertheless, today we will look at the main public beaches, which are great options for relaxation.

Public Beaches in Dubai

Today, we will explore various places you can reach. Some beaches are within walking distance, others are accessible by car, and there are places you can only get to by taxi. There are also beaches where you can drive right onto the premises.

JBR Beach

Let’s start with Abu Dhabi and take a look at the first beach we’ll come across. This is the beach in the JBR (Jumeirah Beach Residence) area of Dubai Marina, one of the most well-known districts in Dubai among Russian-speaking people. Although the beach is very wide and long, I’ll immediately point out the first downside: the entire stretch of beaches is divided into private hotel beaches, where sun loungers are available, and public, or municipal beaches, where anyone can come and settle with their own towel.

Пляж в JBR

As you can see, the area where people are allowed to relax tends to be quite crowded. None of the beaches here are closed off or fenced, so you can walk along the sand to the very end at any time. However, if you enter a hotel’s territory, no one will bother you, but the moment you put down your bag or towel on the sand, security will approach and inform you that this is not allowed.

In terms of the advantages of this beach, firstly, it has all the necessary infrastructure: cafes, restaurants, and promenades. You can take a walk, use the shower cabins, changing rooms, and toilets — all of which are very clean and accessible. Additionally, you can reach this beach by metro, making it popular among people without cars. They choose this beach because it’s convenient to reach by metro or tram and then enjoy swimming and sunbathing.

This is very convenient for those who live or are staying in this area: you can leave your apartment and within 5-7 minutes be at a truly great, wide, and beautiful beach. However, if you’re already living in Dubai and have a car, there are much more interesting beaches, which we will also explore today.

West Beach in Dubai

Let’s move on to the second beach — our next location. The next beach I’d like to show you is West Beach, located on the Palm. I walked along this beautiful coastline and found that there are no public beaches here. All of these beaches belong either to beach clubs or hotels. The situation is the same as in Dubai: the moment you want to lay down your towel, security will immediately approach you.

However, you can take a walk here, so you can come, enjoy a stroll, and take stunning photos with a view of the Marina, Beach Front, and JBR. From here, you can even see the Ferris wheel on Bluewaters. But simply coming here to swim and sunbathe on the Palm won’t work.

As for the beach clubs, this is a type of leisure where you can swim, sunbathe, listen to a DJ, party, and enjoy good food. If you go to a beach club, prices start at 200 to 300 dirhams per person, and this deposit can be spent on drinks and food. If you’re interested in this kind of experience but want to save a little, there’s a place called Barasti. It’s located in the Marina, specifically in the part behind Café Pronto. People over the age of 21 can enter for free, but you must have an ID, such as a passport or Emirates ID, and not bring any beverages — no water or alcohol. You can simply enter this beach club and then buy whatever you want inside, or you can just sunbathe, swim, and listen to the DJ without buying anything.

Пляж West Beach в Дубае

As for transportation, you can get here in several ways, including by car and taxi. By the way, if you’re driving, there’s free parking nearby — check the map carefully, as there’s a large free parking lot just five minutes from this spot. If you decide to use public transportation, the most convenient option is to take the metro to the station and then transfer to the monorail. The monorail station is located very close by.

The next beach I wanted to show you used to be the only beach in the city center where you could drive your car directly onto the beach, but unfortunately, it’s now closed. But no worries, let’s move on to the next location. Up next are Jumeirah Public Beach, Kite Beach, and Jumeirah Beach.

Why did I combine them? Because this is where a running, walking, and cycling path begins, stretching for 5 kilometers along all of these beaches. Here you can take a walk, ride a bike, rollerblade, or go for a run, as there is a great running track here.

Jumeirah Public Beach

This is the first location — Jumeirah Public Beach. It has changed a lot. Construction has started here, which I didn’t know about. It used to be one of the quietest and most peaceful beaches because there weren’t a lot of cafes and restaurants. You could simply come here to relax on the beach. Most of those famous Instagram photos with the sail were taken from here.

Recently, a new building was completed here, and now, by the way, the sail is partially blocked, so it’s no longer possible to take those iconic photos near the “Sail” hotel. So, let’s move on. I suggest we explore this area because there’s a small port nearby, and then head to the night beach and my favorite beach — The Beach. The view there is much more interesting.

We walked for about 10 minutes and arrived at the next beach — Night Beach. I won’t mention the facilities at every beach, except for those accessible by car. All of them have public toilets, showers, and changing rooms. Everything is clean and is maintained every 30 minutes. There are also public spaces: benches, cafes, and restaurants. You can eat, have coffee — whatever you like. By the way, you might notice that signs are written in several languages, including Russian.

Пляж Jumeira Public Beach

We are currently at the night beach. Why is it called the night beach? There are still people swimming here right now. This beach is open 24 hours a day. When I first moved here, it was new information for me that there are no wild beaches in Dubai — all the beaches are public, equipped, and supervised.

When the sun sets, around 5:30-6:00 PM in the summer, and later — around 7 PM, a special staff member comes by and asks everyone to leave the water. The beach is equipped with special lighting that illuminates the area well. There are several beaches in Dubai where you can swim at night. So, there’s no need to complain that there’s nowhere to swim at night in Dubai. You can also see that there are quite a few police officers here, and they check many people’s documents. So, everything is safe — wallets aren’t stolen here, and you can leave your bag and go for a swim. Of course, we don’t recommend doing that.

By the way, the beach line, especially Kite Beach, is most popular among Russian-speaking people. Many Europeans also relax here because there is always something to do. You can come and work: there are many tables where you can sit with your laptop and work, as well as a variety of restaurants offering different cuisines where you can enjoy a nice meal with a sea view. You can also engage in various sports: there’s a running track, pull-up bars, and opportunities for different water sports. You can even see people riding jet skis here. It’s like a whole stew of jet skis! Personally, I really enjoy it.

Why do I come here to relax? Because this is open sea and open space. These aren’t artificial bays, and there are no artificial islands. You can genuinely say you’re swimming in the open sea. Unfortunately, the metro doesn’t go here, and public transportation doesn’t reach this area. You could take a bus, but you’ll probably end up waiting at the bus stop for an hour. So, of course, you’ll either drive or take a taxi. In my opinion, the most convenient option is to go to Kite Beach, where you can walk around, sit down, eat, and then I go swimming at the nearby Jumeirah Beach. It’s just a 10-minute walk, but Jumeirah Beach is much less crowded. There are fewer people relaxing there, so you can settle down, swim, and rest. For entertainment, you can take a walk along the promenade — Kite Beach is just a 10-minute walk away. In my view, that’s the most convenient option.

La Mer Beach

Of course, in a series about beaches, it’s impossible not to mention a beach like La Mer. This is a very beautiful beach, and along this side is a wide promenade. On my right are the beaches, but at the moment, they are undergoing modernization. Almost everything here is closed, but it’s worth noting that this provides an opportunity for a more peaceful experience, as it’s indeed very quiet, calm, and not crowded. At the same time, the beach remains incredibly beautiful.

La Mer Beach

I don’t often go to this beach, probably because I live in a completely different part of the city. But this beach is very charming, so if you want to diversify your leisure time and visit a new location, this beach is definitely worth your attention. As I walk here now, to be honest, I’m quite surprised because they have been trying to develop this area for a long time. All the buildings here were designed in a specific style to attract tourists.

At the moment, everything is closed, but I don’t think this area will stay empty for long. This place is a real gem, not far from the city center and close to the sea. I’m sure they will carry out the modernization soon. For now, if you want to enjoy some peace and quiet, create interesting content, and take great photos, head to La Mer Beach. You won’t regret it!

Al Mamzar Beach Park

Lastly, the final place I’d like to talk about today is Al Mamzar Beach Park. This park is perfect for those who want to go and have a barbecue by the beach. There’s a spot for that here as well. The entrance fee is just 5 dirhams — really, it’s incredibly affordable. The park is fully equipped, very beautiful, with green lawns and palm trees.

Al Mamzar Beach Park

You can also reserve a grill there, come, barbecue, and swim in the sea. The beaches there are interesting as well, with beautiful views of the Deira area. And, by the way, we’ve reached a new location, a new spot, and you can see that there’s already active construction happening. So, it’s possible that soon they’ll demolish everything, clear the area, and build something new. That’s why I recommend enjoying this place while it’s still here.

Behind me, by the way, you can even see the Burj Khalifa from here. It’s really just a 15-minute drive to the city center by car, I’d say. I hope this article will be useful to you, and you’ve learned something new. When you come to Dubai for vacation, you’ll be able to visit different beaches, enjoy different locations, and take cool photos.

If you’re interested in real estate in the United Arab Emirates, feel free to contact us, and we’ll send you an interesting document with real estate options under $150,000 along the first shoreline, where you can walk to your nearest beach.