When we moved to Dubai, my number one reason was the beach and the sea, the be able to go whenever I want meaning daily. Well, we ended up more in the desert with some drive to the beach so being there daily is not possible. But we still have the weekends and the school holidays to make the most out of it. Definitely, between seven and nine months per year, we can go to the beach (my husband probably only three months as he has very sensitive skin, Scandinavian, what can I say?).

So, I love the sea and the beach, especially in Jumeirah, and I try to spend as much time as possible with the kids there, even if we live far away, in Dubailand. I’ll tell you about our favourite spots.

Don’t be surprised but we love the most a ‘virgin’ beach, not far away from the Madinat Jumeirah, on Al Sufouh Road. It doesn’t have a name as there are no facilities there but is mostly known as The Secret Beach or The Palace Beach. Recently I found out that it might also be called “The Caravans Beach” as there are many caravans stationed there. And when I say there are no facilities, there are absolutely none, except for the garbage bins if these qualify as “facilities”. There you must have everything with you from towels and umbrellas to snacks and drinks as there is no shop close by.

The next one in our top is The Kite Beach. This developed a lot over the years, expanding, adding new facilities like internet hotspots and relaxation areas. There are small kiosks dotted along the beach serving fresh fruits, juices, coffee and tea. We go there from morning till evening, get breakfast and lunch. There we make a combination of beach and skating and riding bikes. There are also other attractions for kids like XPark Jr. (you can read more about it here, on the blog) or the climbing area. There are trendy restaurants and cafes to enjoy excellent and healthy food for the whole day or just fast-food for a treat. It seems that’s the kids’ favourite.

Even if it’s only no. 3 in our top, La Mer is a must-go-to. Chic spot, with exquisite restaurants, cafes and sweet shops, we can spend easily the day there. And now, Laguna Waterpark is open so we can pop in there too for more fun. It’s not much retail going on there but most of the restaurants and cafes are in the Entertainer so you can get 1+1 Free offers. La Mer was designed as a tropic beach with vibrant colors so don’t be surprised if most people take pictures in front of the toilets and showers. Yes, they are very chic and “instagrammable”. The kids like to ride their bikes and there are also other activities, but not as many as at The Kite Beach. The picture below is a bit older, now you can see Laguna Waterpark in the background.

And while we are talking about waterparks, we enjoy and go as often as possible to Wild Wadi Waterpark, that so far is our number one favourite in Dubai. Check this post on the blog for more details about it. If your kids have the required height and age, go to The Fast River. We don’t even know when two hours passed.

There are always the beaches from the hotels located in JBR or on The Palm. Our favorite to go to is Sheraton JBR as The Carnival Brunch there is in the Entertaine (so pay 1 get 1 free). With the brunch, the guests get complimentary access to swimming pool and beach. Always a great option for a day out in the weekend.