Brilliant budget-busting options for a great day by the sea
Now we enjoy a bells-and-whistles, no expense spared beach day as much as the next sun seeker (private cabana might just be our natural habit), but equally never do we forget that the best free beaches in Dubai offer a brilliant alternative.
We’re lucky enough to live in a city with an array of fabulous free beaches. How many have you been to?
Here are some of the best places to soak up some rays gratis.
If you like free things, check out our round-up of all the free things to do in Dubai.
Al Sufouh Beach
A beautiful beach of many names (Black Palace Beach, Secret Beach) and well-deserved legendary status amongst long-term Dubai residents. This is the perfect spot when you want to escape the crowds and feel like you’ve gone off the beaten track, but wish to do so without sacrificing the Burj Al Arab views. As befits the secret beach moniker there are no facilities or restaurants here so make sure you arrive well stocked with supplies.
Turn right into the slip road after the bus stop on Al Sufouh Road (just before Hessa Street and about 500m before Dubai Media City).
JBR Beach
There’s something for everyone at Dubai’s busiest beach. From sunrise until sunset (and beyond) this stretch of sand – and the busy promenade behind it – hums with activity and possibility thanks to the children’s play areas, inflatable Aqua Park, sun-loungers for hire and restaurants, cafés and beach clubs galore. If not spending a dirham is the plan, that’s fine too; arrive early and snag yourself a prime spot on the sand, then spend the day drinking in the superb Ain Dubai views (and the water that you brought with you from home).
The Beach, opposite JBR.
Jebel Ali Public Beach
Picturesque, peaceful, far less built up than many of Dubai’s beaches and some would argue (us included) much the better for it. When all you want to do is chuck your towel on the sand, feel the warmth of the sun on your skin and power through your latest book or podcast, Jebel Ali Beach should be your go-to. Amenities are limited but there is a small kiosk selling snacks, ice creams and cold drinks (read: the essentials) and from time-to-time pop up coffee or food trucks appear.
Mina Jelel Ali.
Kite Beach
Trendy cafés and gourmet food shacks; a skate park, hanging rope obstacle course, human sling shot experience, long swathes of sand, 14km beach-side (for the most part) running track, options to go paddle boarding, water skiing, kayaking and of course kite surfing – consider that list just a taste of things to do at this fab beach hub. Brilliant for adults, kids and everyone in between, Kite Beach may have grown its offerings at pace over the last few years but a real sense of character remains.
Street 5a, behind Jumeirah Beach Road, Umm Suqeim.
Mercato Beach
All the neighbourhood feels. Sure, this isn’t the most spectacular beach in town but when old-school beach holiday activities are on the agenda – rock pooling, sand castle building, shell collecting and shoreside paddling – Mercato’s your beach. Seek respite from the sun and reward the family for embracing wholesome screen-time free fun with an ice cream from Mercato Mall or up the ante and treat the team to lunch at 3Fils in nearby Jumeirah Fishing Harbour (you won’t be disappointed).
13a Street, Jumeirah 2.
La Mer
Close your eyes and imagine the bustling beachside town of your dreams. If glittering blue sea, soft, white sand, palm-tree fringed paths, quaint-yet-cool beach huts, funky street art and twinkling fairy lights feature then we have an inkling that you’ll love La Mer. As well as all that, this is a trendy dining and shopping destination in its own right, complete with fast food spots and gourmet ice cream trucks, high end restaurants, a retro cinema, inflatable playground and water park. Not your average beach.
Jumeirah 1, lamerdubai.ae.
Sunset Beach
Kite Beach’s lesser-known sibling has plenty going for it, not least the fact that the wide stretch of milky-white sand is often deserted in the early morning (this is a fabulous spot for a pre-work ocean-side stroll) and tends to remain if not exactly quiet, then certainly calm, throughout the day. Keen surfers often cite this beach as a top spot, fishing is popular, families are well catered thanks to a children’s playground and clutch of BBQ areas and there’s even a pop-up library and free Wi-Fi (our kinda place). As the name suggests, you should of course stick around for sunset.
2C Street, Umm Suqeim.
