Jebel Ali Beach

Jebel Ali Beach is the quiet, largely undeveloped coast that runs south of the main city, a world apart from the groomed sand and beach clubs of Jumeirah. This is where Dubai keeps one of its last natural shorelines, a wide sandy stretch with room to walk for a long way and very little built on it. People come here precisely because nothing has been done to it, and on a weekday the loudest thing is usually the sea.

The headline beyond the calm is conservation. A protected stretch along this coast is a marine sanctuary where endangered hawksbill turtles come to nest, generally between March and May with a peak around April. That sanctuary area is closed to the public to protect the nests, and it is the reason this coast still feels wild. The open stretches that you can visit are quiet, natural and unstructured, the antithesis of a serviced city beach.

Set your expectations accordingly. There are few or no facilities on the open sand, no lifeguards and little shade, so you bring your own water, cover and everything else, and you swim with care because nobody is watching the water. Some parts of the coast border private and industrial land or the sanctuary itself, so access varies and signs should be respected. The drive south is longer than a trip to the Marina, which is part of why so few people make it.

Who it suits: walkers, nature lovers and anyone who would trade facilities for genuine quiet and a sense of an untouched coast. Who should skip it: families wanting toilets and lifeguards, and visitors after daybeds, food and a social scene, all of which sit back in the city. Treat Jebel Ali Beach as a wild, simple, respectful day by the sea, and leave the nesting coast to the turtles.