Travel
What Are the Best Beaches in Dubai? An Honest Guide by What You Want
The best beach in Dubai depends on the day you want. For a lively, free day out go to Kite Beach or JBR, for calm and views head to Sunset Beach, and in summer go early or after dark when the sand has cooled.
If you ask me for the single best beach in Dubai, my honest answer is that it depends on the kind of day you want. Some days I want noise, coffee and people around me. Other days I want an empty stretch of sand and a good view. The lovely thing about this city is that it gives you both, and most of the best spots cost nothing to enter. Here is how I actually choose.
Which free public beaches in Dubai are worth it?
Kite Beach in Umm Suqeim is my everyday pick. It is free to enter, the sand is clean, and there is a proper running track, food trucks and water sports if you want them. You can bring your own towel or rent a sunbed for around AED 20 to 30.
JBR, the beach at Jumeirah Beach Residence, is the one I choose when I want cafes and shops right behind me. It feels more like a full day out than a quiet swim. La Mer is calmer and well kept, with clean restrooms and beach volleyball, and loungers there run from about AED 50 to 150 if you want the comfort. For something prettier and quieter I love Sunset Beach in Umm Suqeim, where you get that postcard view of the Burj Al Arab. Palm West Beach and Jumeirah Open Beach are lovely too. None of these charge an entry fee, which is why I never quite understand paying just to sit on sand.
When is the best time to go to the beach in Dubai?
This is the part people get wrong, and it is the difference between loving the beach and never going back. From November to April the weather is glorious and the sea sits around 22 to 26 degrees, cool and refreshing. That is peak beach season and everyone knows it.
Summer, June to August, is a different story. Air temperatures hit 40 to 45 degrees and the sea warms to 33 to 35 degrees, which is basically bath water. I still go in summer, I just go smart. Early morning before 9am, or from late afternoon into the evening once the sand has cooled. The middle of a July day is not the time to lie on a lounger, no matter how good the photos look. If the heat is really getting to you, I shared more ways to survive the season in my guide to things to do in Dubai in summer.
Can you swim at the beach at night in Dubai?
Yes, and it is one of my favourite things about a Dubai summer. Several public beaches are set up for it. Kite Beach is floodlit and open from sunset to sunrise, so you can swim safely in the dark. The city has also designated proper night swimming zones at Jumeirah 2, Jumeirah 3 and Umm Suqeim 1, with lighting for evening dips. The water is warm, the air is finally bearable, and it honestly feels like a different city. If you have children or you are with family, this is often the best time to go in the hotter months.
Are Dubai beach clubs worth the money?
Beach clubs are a different experience, and whether they are worth it depends on your mood. Places like Nikki Beach, Drift and Cove give you pools, loungers, service and food in one polished package, and the day passes are not cheap. I go when I want to make a proper occasion of it, celebrate something, or when a group of us want one easy spot with everything sorted. For a normal weekend though, a free beach and a good coffee does the job for me. If you want the resort feeling without leaving the city, a staycation can be better value than a club day pass, and I have a whole guide to my favourite staycations in Dubai.
What should you pack for a Dubai beach day?
A few things I never skip: reef safe sunscreen and a hat, because the sun here is stronger than it feels near the water. A light cover up, plenty of water, and a small portable fan in summer. If you are heading to Al Mamzar Beach Park in Deira, note that it charges a small entry fee of around AED 5 and has ladies only days, usually Mondays and Wednesdays, which is lovely if you want more privacy. And if you want to make a full day of it and explore further along the coast, some of my favourite stretches of sand double nicely as easy day trips from Dubai.
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