You will laugh, but in the United Arab Emirates, where the total length of the coastline is more than 700 kilometers, it is quite difficult to find a decent beach, for the use of which you will not have to pay a decent amount and which will not be strewn with any kind of garbage and debris from passing ships. A little exploration carried out in the existing beach parks and on the open Municipal beaches of different emirates allowed us to make a short conditional rating of what we should sunbathe and swim, based on our own impressions. The scale of our grades is from 7 * and descending.
Dubai
Al Mamzar Beach Park (7 *)
It would not be a big exaggeration if we call the Al Mamzar Municipal Beach Park one of Dubai’s biggest secrets. Located on the very border (conditional, of course) between the emirates of Dubai and Sharjah and occupying just a gigantic territory, it almost always remains half empty, despite the magnificent beaches and the abundance of various conditions for sports and outdoor activities. Here you will find stunning well-kept green gardens, a huge amphitheater, an old, but well-functioning Happy Dolphin cafe, paved barbecue areas, an arcade, children's playgrounds with slides and swings, half a dozen shops selling anything from drinking water to life jackets , as well as a wheeled train, ready to take you to the most remote corners of the park so that you do not receive a sunstroke, going there on foot.
The beach itself is immaculately clean and spacious. It is equipped with showers and toilets, as well as parasols from palm leaves. The body of water is divided by breakwaters into "bays", each of which has an impressive size. This park is especially popular with tourists from the CIS countries, as well as with families from India and Pakistan. Western tourists and repatriates come here quite rarely, since they "live" in areas of the city that are far removed from Al-Mamzar. But in vain. Enough space here for everyone.
The park has a team of professional lifeguards. Special patrols keep order. There were no cases of harassment or abuse of women. And if you do not mind the time to get to Al Mamzar and spend 5 dirhams for entry tickets for each of the family members, then you can not find the best beach.
Gantut Beach to Jebel Ali (6 *)
Dubai construction is going on in a sweeping step, swallowing more and more new territories of the former city beach line. This fairly long stretch of clean sandy beach is located near Palm Jebel Ali Island, 4 kilometers from Jebel Ali Hotel & Spa. Undoubtedly, when the Dubai Waterfront project will be fully completed, and these beaches will become part of the new areas, but there is still a unique opportunity to visit it. If weather conditions allow, you can easily find the road by slipping between trucks with sand and turning off the motorway towards the sea. Having come closer, you need to park and go on foot through the dune, and here it is - the beach! Pure, white, endless! The water here is crystal clear, peace and quiet are ensured, and privacy is not broken by anyone. The obvious advantages include equipped showers, and canopies from the sun from palm branches. Fairy tale!
Jumeirah Beach Park (5 *)
Jumeirah Beach Park is a cross between the sleek and well-groomed beach of any of Dubai's five-star hotels and the slightly "grimy" open municipal beach. The price of admission here is also equal to 5 dirhams per person. For the money you get great pleasure from contemplating neat and pretty gardens and aristocratic lawns, as well as a unique opportunity to lie in the sun on one of the most famous beaches of Dubai. This park is popular among guests and residents of the city for its convenient venues for family barbecue, children's play areas, but if you really want peace alone with nature (i.e. just sun and sea), try not to get to this beach on Friday afternoon, where, according to the sensations, almost half of the urban population gathers with all children and households, and it is not possible to break through the water to the water.
The entrance fee practically cuts off the insolents who go to the beach to gawk at not quite dressed women, so sunbathing in a bikini is pretty safe here. In addition, only women are allowed to enter the beach on Saturdays. A slight inconvenience is that the horizon and sea view obscures the dust from the famous Dubai islands being built along the coast. But comparing the price with the cost of visiting any hotel beach, you can calm down and enjoy the clean sand, the warm sea, the presence of lifeguards and several cafes with fairly edible "fast food" and soft drinks. For an additional 10 dirhams, they will bring you a deck chair and a beach umbrella.
Kite Beach or Kite Beach (4 *)
Dubai is rightfully proud of its exclusive 5 * class resorts with their perfectly trimmed gardens turning into literally licked beach lines.
But if you want to get to the real, “un cultured” beach, for which any of the vagabond tribe will give their lives, then you will go to Kite Beach, which is located in the Umm Sukheim area between the sailing club and the fishing village (right behind the Mirage Art Center, where before located University of Wollongong). There are no amenities to mention, but this only adds to the beauty of the beach.
The beach enjoys great popularity among immigrants from South Africa and European countries. Here happy fathers fly kites with their children, and tanned young ladies enjoy sun and sea baths.
Several dive centers and surf clubs are located directly across the road, so anyone can rent equipment. This unique mix of people walking along the edge of the water, swimming and playing sports becomes a real outlet in a bustling and bustling city.
Open (free) municipal beach (3 *)
Popularly, this beach is often called Russian Beach because of the huge number of tourists from Russia and the CIS, who are brought here from city hotels by whole buses. If you want to retire with a good book and fully get enough of the sea and the sun, do not go to the open beach. Your walks along the water's edge in an elegant bikini will attract the attention of a myriad of rotozeys who decided to spend their day off with benefit. True, in a city where vast areas on the coast are reserved for private villas of wealthy people, luxury hotels and shopping centers, the open municipal beach is the only place with free access for people with medium and low incomes. The view from the right side can hardly be called wonderful - the view rests on the port of Rashid, but turning your head to the left you can enjoy a really beautiful view of the Burj Al Arab Hotel, which looks especially picturesque in the rays of the setting sun. In the summer, in the predawn hours (about 2-3 o'clock in the morning) in the water, you can count from 500 or more swimmers. The beach line ends with a walking alley, very popular among roller skate lovers. Only on this beach can you meet people of literally all nationalities. In many kiosks you can buy drinking water, ice cream, soft drinks and suntan, as well as newspapers and magazines in Russian. The beach is equipped with showers, however, if you use a shower without beach sandals, there is a danger of picking up some fungus. The good news is plans to reconstruct the open beach, which is expected to make it the best in Dubai.
Abu Dhabi
Bahraini Island (6 *)
In Abu Dhabi, many things are happening aimed at improving the life of the population, but the increase in the number of urban beaches can hardly be called a priority for the capital of the country. Given the status of the island of Abu Dhabi, it is not surprising that there are not many public beaches here. But Abu Dhabi has always surprised and continues to amaze those who have been living in the UAE for a long time and those who come to this country to relax. Just 40 minutes from the coast of Abu Dhabi is the wonderful Bahrain Island. However, to get to it you need to charter a boat from the Sheraton Abu Dhabi Resort & Tower hotel, which will cost 550 drx for three hours and 150 drx for each subsequent hour. The journey itself will be an adventure for you. In addition, a huge tourist resort complex was built on the island on one coast, and more than seven kilometers of wild white sandy beaches stretching along the other coast have the best rest. There is also a small wildlife sanctuary where populations of songbirds live, several species of gazelles and chamois.
Jebel Dana (6 *)
This journey is not for the weak cores and those who can get bored with everything after 5 minutes. Jebel Dana Beach is located 400 kilometers from Dubai, and you will not be able to go there and return back in one day. To get there, you need to drive long and tedious along one straight and endless road until it starts to get you crazy. However, upon reaching you you will understand what this means - a real uninhabited beach and clear, calm sea water. For whole kilometers around there is no human housing, there are only two buildings, one of which - Danat Resort - can be worthy of attention. Since the "man’s foot hasn’t stepped on the beach", besides yours, of course, it makes sense to think in advance about sun umbrellas, otherwise you may not find a saving shadow. It has excellent shallow water, and even 50 meters from the coast, water is unlikely to reach your belt, which makes this coast ideal for families with children.
Sharjah
Horfakkan (6 *)
Despite all that you've heard about the east coast and Fujairah, once you find yourself outside the sweet and comfortable Sandy Beach Motel, it's pretty awful. The beaches are untidy and uncleaned, garbage rushing towards the city center. The coast is mainly used by local fishermen to dump their catch on it. There are few people who want to sunbathe and swim.
However, a little driving along the coast, you will notice that the surrounding landscape is changing before our eyes - a lot of green space appears, an eerie mountain road turns into an excellent highway, cleanliness is pleasing to the eye, and signs indicate that you are in the territory of the Sharjah emirate - in the city of Khorfakkan.
An open public beach extends here from the Oceanic Hotel to the city center. There are no special amenities, but there are tiny cafes where they cook deliciously, and local shops and shops open after 5 pm. Of course, to go here from Dubai for quite a long time, but here it is the cleanest and most beautiful public beach on the entire East Coast.
Fujairah
Martini Bay and Shark Island (5 *)
Passing the Dubai sands and mountains of Dibba, you find yourself on the coast of the Indian Ocean. By boat or boat carrying divers, you can get to the most popular pebble beach among divers on Shark Island or to the most environmentally friendly beach in Martini Bay.
Shark Island, named after safe local reef sharks, is an exceptional place to snorkel and watch sea turtles and coral reefs. Martini Bay is famous for its underwater cliffs, where all kinds of marine reptiles are abundant (cute and safe). Here you can organize a great picnic. Fans of water procedures will enjoy a breathtaking view of the endless ocean. Sun umbrellas and soft drinks should be taken care of in advance and independently.
The adventure is great! Not for the lazy!
Snoopy Rock (5 *)
Once again, we note that the issue of the number of public beaches is somehow not very seriously discussed in the UAE. Hotels "eat" vast coastal areas and set insane prices for using "washed and combed" beaches. Today in Fujairah, which is at the peak of the tourist boom, it’s quite difficult to say what the length of the accessible beach line between Aqah Beach Resort and Sandy Beach Motel will be. While here you can sunbathe, swim and relax. To spend your day off with greater benefit, you should definitely snorkel with a mask and flippers to the Snoopy Rock, around and under which almost all the underwater flora and fauna of the UAE is represented. Slow turtles, a kaleidoscope of colorful fish of all stripes, tiny sharks (slightly larger than your forearm) ... Great! Come here next weekend until the "hotel business sharks" have swallowed this piece of wildlife with such lovely and, most importantly, affordable joys. Have a good rest, warm sea and excellent sunny weather!
