Best beaches and water parks in Dubai for families

Warm in winter and scorching hot in summer, Dubai’s water parks and beaches are the perfect place for families to cool off. There’s so many to choose from, so we’ve road-tested and shortlisted six of the best… It was a tough job but someone had to do it!

Best waterparks in Dubai for families

Aquaventure Water Park – Atlantis, The Palm

Situated within the famed Atlantis The Palm Resort, Aquaventure is the biggest and most thrilling waterpark in the Middle East. The highlights include:

• The world’s largest water slide – Aquaconda – sheer terror and delight, all rolled into one!
• Shark Attack – a water slide through shark infested waters – take the underwater camera on this one.
• The Leap of Faith – a nine story, almost vertical drop – BYO Go Pro!
• Splashers Kids Play Area – when you need to tame things down for the little ones, this is the place to go. There are lots of slides, climbing frames, tipping buckets and water games for hours of fun.
• Aquaventure Beach – a glorious stretch of sandy beach, where you can sit on a sun lounge with your cool drink while the kids build sand castles.
• Dolphin Bay – meet some charismatic dolphins and get up close to them in deep or shallow water – there are a variety of interactive experiences that can be booked in advance.
• Sea Lion Point – because everyone needs a selfie with a Sea Lion when on holidays!
• The Lost Chambers Aquarium – snorkel, dive or walk your way through this impressive aquarium and watch an aqua-theatre show.

Wild Wadi Water Park – Jumeirah Beach Hotel

Within the grounds of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel is the Wild Wadi Waterpark, which boasts more than thirty different water attractions. Even if you’re not a guest at the hotel, you can enjoy the fun of Wild Wadi by purchasing a day pass. The highlights include:

• Wipeout and Riptide Flowriders – these rides shoot out more than seven tonnes of water per second to produce a realistic wave for body-boarding and knee boarding. Staying upright is not as easy as you think!
• Tantrum Alley – imagine being seated in a tube and travelling through a tornado… that’s what this ride promises. It’s not for the faint hearted!
• Juha’s Journey is a relaxing ride around a 360m river with a gentle current. It’s suitable for all ages and perfect for when you need to catch your breath.
• Juha’s Dhow and Lagoon is is an interactive play structure with more than 100 water activities for younger kids including slides, water guns and a large dumping bucket.

Private Beach Clubs for families in Dubai

A number of the beaches in Dubai are private, meaning you need to pay an entry fee per person to enter. Children are often free though, and usually this fee includes the use of facilities, pools and non-motorised water sports.

 JA Jebel Ali Beach Hotel

Families are welcome to visit the private beach of the JA Jebel Ali Beach Hotel, even if you are not a hotel guest. Once you have paid your entry fee, you’ll have access to 800 metres of private beach, two temperature controlled swimming pools, and a water sports centre.

Public Beaches for families in Dubai

If you don’t like the idea of paying to go to the beach, Dubai also has a number of beautiful beaches that can be visited for free. Just remember that nudity or topless sunbathing is illegal in Dubai, and swimwear can only be worn at the beach!

Al Mamzar Beach Park

This is the perfect beach for a picnic or barbecue with the family. The long stretch of sandy beach and the adjoining tree-lined park is an oasis in the city of Dubai. There are toilets and changing rooms, as well as sun lounges for hire. There is also a train that can take your family around this extensive beach park, stopping at all the sights such as the playground, swimming pools and even air-conditioned cabanas! The beach park is open seven days but Mondays and Wednesdays are exclusively for women and children. Al Mamzar Beach Park is located at Al Mamzar Creek, Deira.

Jumeirah Beach Residence Open Beach

The JBR Open Beach, nestled in the Dubai Marina, has toilets and changing rooms, as well as outdoor activities such as volleyball. There’s also plenty of food outlets nearby, especially along a popular strip known as “The Walk”, for when your kids get the munchies. There’s even a children’s playground, offshore water park and cinema at this popular beach.