The Walk and the Beach at JBR

JBR is where Dubai Marina meets the sea, and on a cool-season evening it is the most sociable place in the city. Jumeirah Beach Residence is a long wall of residential and hotel towers built along the coast; at its foot runs The Walk, a pedestrian promenade lined with restaurants, cafes, ice-cream parlours and shops, with outdoor seating, street performers and, on weekend nights, a steady parade of families and friends. On the seaward side, The Beach is an open-air shopping and dining district right on the sand, and beyond it stretches a wide, free public beach with lifeguards, showers, sun loungers to rent and a few water-sports operators offering jet skis, paddleboards and banana-boat rides. Across a short stretch of water sits Bluewaters Island, home to the giant observation wheel and more restaurants, reached by a footbridge; check the wheel's current operating status before planning around it. Behind JBR, the canyon of Dubai Marina, with its promenade and dhow cruises, is a few minutes' walk away. The atmosphere is lively and casual, with a mix of tourists and residents, and swimwear is normal on the sand but not on The Walk. It is free to enjoy, and spending money is entirely optional. Mornings are quiet and good for swimming and a run along the beachfront; late afternoons bring sunset over the Palm and the Gulf, and evenings bring the crowds. Fit: families, couples and groups of friends, first-timers staying in the Marina, and anyone who wants a beach with a city buzz.

How it compares: La Mer and Kite Beach on the Jumeirah side are calmer and more local; JBR is busier and more urban, with towers right behind the sand and far more places to eat. It is the obvious beach for anyone staying in the Marina, JBR or Bluewaters hotels, and it works well as a whole day of beach, lunch, pool and dinner without ever getting in a taxi.

How to do it well: claim a spot on the sand in the morning, when it is quieter, and swim between the flags; lifeguards are on duty during the day. Rent a lounger and umbrella if you want shade. For lunch, walk up to The Walk or The Beach, then return to the sand in the late afternoon for sunset. In the evening, stroll The Walk and cross to Bluewaters for dinner, or walk round into Dubai Marina for a dhow cruise. Weekend evenings in the cool season are crowded and parking is scarce, so come by tram or taxi.

Getting there: the Dubai Tram stops along JBR and connects to the Red Line metro at the Marina and to the Palm Monorail, which makes JBR easy to reach without a car. A taxi from Downtown takes around half an hour without heavy traffic. Rove Dubai Marina and JA Ocean View are among the hotels within walking distance. Pair JBR with the dhow cruise in the Marina, or with The View at The Palm across the water.