We've picked the 10 best Dubai beaches that everyone must visit at least once while visiting or living here
9 July 2018
| Last updated on 14 January 2020If a dose of sun, sea and sand is your favourite weekend pastime, here's our guide to the 10 best beaches in Dubai for you.
Dubai has many beaches, but a lot of them belong to hotels as private beaches, so here we take a look at the best public beaches that you can visit!
Some are free to access and some have a small charge. Ladies must wear a full bikini or a swimsuit when on a public beach in Dubai and swimming in underwear is not allowed. We have a complete guide to Dubai's beach dress code here for you.
Topless sunbathing is not allowed anywhere in Dubai and the wearing of thongs is not recommended!
Beachwear should only be worn while on any Dubai public beach and not while walking to or from the actual beach… Although you may see bemused tourists wandering up the Beach Road wondering why they are getting funny looks!
SEE ALSO: Dubai dress code - what you should and shouldn't wear in the emirate
All the shoreline hotels have private beaches and you can pay to use the beach at a resort in many places as long as they are not full. This can cost anywhere between 150 Dhs to 700 Dhs.
A note of warning for all swimmers...
The seas in Dubai usually look very calm but even strong swimmers have been swept out to sea by strong rip tides and currents. Please take care when swimming and warn any visitors you may have too.
You might also encounter a lot of jellyfish at certain times during the year, most hotel beaches have warning signs in place however if you are unsure of a particular beach or area, always look for advice and never ever swim alone.
1) The Beach at Jumeirah Beach Residence
- Location: Click here
- Opening Times: 7AM - 10PM
- Directions: Click here
- Contact: 04 317 3999
'The Beach' at Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) is on the coast next to Jumeirah Beach Resort, and is free to use. It's a very popular Dubai beach with residents of the area and tourists. The beach now has that tourist appeal that it was missing when first opened including readily available, clean facilities including showers, green patches for people to get together and play sports such a quick game of rugby or Frisbee... Making it one of the must-do tourist attractions in Dubai!
There are also a large number of restaurants open with a sea view, and a funky atmosphere where you can grab a quick bite or indulge in a lingering lunch whilst taking in the great sea view. There always seem to be a lot of what we can only call “posers” on this beach- mainly at the weekends! This makes for great people watching though! Events are quite often held on this stretch of beach including sporting events and motoring events.
2) Burj Beach
- Location: Click here
- Opening Times: Open 24 Hours
- Directions: Click here
- Contact: 04 364 7555
Following on from Kite Beach (more on this favourite spot later) is what is called Burj Beach, or Jumeirah Beach. This is a very wide and long stretch of beach leading to the Burj Al Arab and is very popular Dubai tourist place and relaxation spot for residents. There are some facilities here as well as volley ball nets and playing football is very popular on this stretch of beach.
Burj Beach is also home to Dubai's very own 'Stonehenge', with the Burj Beach Pillars installed on its sandy stretch of land. It's the perfect spot for photoshoots. There's also a running track, as well as facilities and kiosks... All with the backdrop of the amazing Burj Al Arab! You can get some great photos on this beach with that quintessential Dubai feel to them.
Image credit: instagram.com/b.to.the.c
3) Al Mamzar Beach Park
- Location: Click here
- Opening Times: 8AM - 10PM
- Directions: Click here
- Contact: 04 296 6201
Al Mamzar (or Mamzer) Beach is massive and beautiful and it has just been awarded blue flag beach status, making Mamzar Beach Park one of the most desirable beaches to visit. It has 5 beaches in coves around the coast of the park and is very popular with tourists and residents. Each beach has sheltered areas with changing rooms and showers and you can rent chalets complete with a barbecue area on a daily basis.
SEE ALSO: Dubai dress code mistakes that are easily avoidable
If you don’t want to venture into the sea there are also 2 very large swimming pools. You can rent sun loungers and umbrellas and there are some small cafés and grocery stores. There are also lifeguards on duty with flag warning systems. There is a small charge to get in 5dhs if you walk in and 40 dhs per car if you drive in.
Image credit: insydo.com
4) Jumeirah Beach Park
- Location: Click here
- Opening Times: Open 24 Hours
- Directions: Click here
- Contact: 800 900
This is one of Dubai’s most popular public beach parks due to its’ handy location on Beach Road. It holds blue flag beach status, making it one of Dubai's top beaches to visit. his park has a stretch of golden sand, grassy areas and palm trees. At either end of the beach there are cafes selling snacks and drinks, there are also showers and toilets and a lifeguard is on duty until sunset.
There is a small charge to get in of around 5 dhs. With respect to women who abide by the local culture of the UAE, the beach even has female staff on-site during the 'ladies only days' to make sure that the beach is kept neat and tidy without sacrificing the comfort of the female visitors.
The beach re-opened after the construction of the Dubai Canal Project, and now a trip to Jumeirah Beach Park offers fantastic views of one of Dubai's newest attractions.
Image credit: instagram.com/clau_colombo
5) Jumeirah Open Beach (formerly Russian Beach)
- Location: Click here
- Opening Times: Open 24 Hours
- Directions: Click here
- Contact: 800 900
Russian Beach is also known as the Open Beach or Jumeirah Open Beach and is free to use. It is just after Palm Strip Mall at the lower end of Beach Road… the opposite end to the Burj Al Arab. It got its name originally as this is where the Russian and Eastern Europeans always used to hang out. It doesn’t have many facilities but there are some showers and toilets dotted about but you are very close to the small malls on Beach Road that have a lot of cafés so refreshments aren’t far away.
There is a jogging track along the stretch of beach and you will see a lot of beefcakes exercising round here! You’ll also see a lot of strollers, joggers, roller- skaters and cyclists. It can get quite man- heavy at the weekend so if you’re a solo lady you may prefer to go Jumeirah Beach Park to avoid stares.
6) Kite Beach
- Location: Click here
- Opening Times: Open 24 Hours
- Directions: Click here
- Contact: 04 317 3999
This is the beach where kite surfers congregate and its great fun to watch them or have a go yourself. It’s also known as Woollongong Beach as it is just behind the University of Wollongong. In the old days you could drive up on to the beach and have barbeques but this is not allowed anymore. Despite this, it still remains one of the best tourist attractions in Dubai to visit, and the perfect place for weekend hangouts for residents and locals alike.
SEE ALSO: What to wear to the beach in Dubai
It really is just a stretch of open beach and there are few facilities- so make sure you bring snacks and water etc. with you. It’s a lovely peaceful stretch of beach with views of the Burj Al Arab and you can take a good long walk up the beach. Kite Beach is on the shore opposite the Al Manara Road junction- just swing off down one of the little side roads and you will find it!
7) Ghantoot Beach
- Location: Click here
- Opening Times: Open 24 Hours
- Directions: Click here
- Contact: 02 562 9168
The Golden Tulip Hotel runs this stretch of beach and beach access costs 100 Dhs, which is great as it means you can use their pool, facilities, bars and cafés too. There are volley ball nets and barbeques. There is also a watersports club which offers waterskiing, wake boarding, banana boating and other activities. It’s a great place to escape Dubai at the weekend and you could even team it with an overnight stay at the resort.
How to find it- head up the Sheikh Zayed Road towards Abu Dhabi and keep an eye out for the Ghantoot exit (399). You will see signs for the Al Jazira Golden Tulip Hotel and you will see the gates for Ghantoot Beach.
8) 4x4 Beach
- Location: Click here
- Directions: Click here
Named after it's popularity with drivers who regularly park up and take in the view... This spot, next to Jumeirah Beach Park, also boasts a giant expanse of sand and a picturesque bay view. It's at the corner of Al Athar Road and Beach Road, next to Jumeirah Beach Park in Jumeirah 2. Enjoy the view!
9) Jebel Ali Beach
- Location: Click here
- Directions: Click here
Jebel Ali Beach is a stretch of open beach next to the Jebel Ali Beach Resort. There has been a lot of water front construction in that area so the beach is getting smaller. This beach is also popular with the kite surfers. It used to be a great camping spot but you had to get a licence from the Dubai Municipality if you wanted to stay overnight. The rules keep changing so you would have to check with them if it is ok to camp there. The best thing to do would be to take an exploratory trip up there and check out the lay of the land before you pack the car up with camping gear!
SEE ALSO: Why Ajman is the sunshine destination everyone should know about
This stretch of beach is also dubbed a dog-friendly beach in Dubai by dog owners in the city, although we must warn you - if you own a dog and are wishing to take a visit here, please be mindful that all public beaches in the UAE are dog-free, and sadly dogs are banned from visiting them with you. You risk a fine from Dubai Police if you do take your pooch with you.
10) Royal Lebanon Beach Club
- Location: Click here
- Opening Times: 11AM - 3AM
- Directions: Click here
OK, so this is not a free beach but it is pretty amazing and with it costing 200 Dhs a person to go and visit the first open island of The World development we reckon it would be worth it for a splurge- visitors would no doubt be very impressed too! Situated on the island of Lebanon the beach club features eight private chalets, a restaurant, a swimming pool and two beach areas. You will be ferried to the island on a boat- at the pick- up points - definitely a must-do attraction in Dubai!