You love the thought of waking up to the smell of the ocean, combing the coast for shells, feeling the sand between the toes of your bare feet, and listening to the swish the waves make when they lash the shore. The sun setting and bathing everything on its path in a golden, orange and red hue makes you happy. In other words, you adore the beach and love being on it so much that nothing makes you happier than whiling away the time by the sea and on the sand.
If this is you, consider spending your vacation on the best beach in Abu Dhabi: Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi – jazirat as-sa’diyyat or island of happiness. The following are some of the reasons that make a trip to Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi so worth it.
The Beach
Saadiyat Island has a nine-kilometer stretch of pristine, white-sand beach along the coast of the Arabian Gulf. The water is azure blue and stretches for miles into the horizon. The sand appears bleached white, offering a striking contrast against the cerulean sea and the perfect backdrop for your Instagram photos.
The sand is powdery and soft. You’ll love walking on it, with the waves lapping your bare feet, or lying down on it to soak in its warmth as you relax and tan near the sea. It’s the kind of sand that’s great for building sand castles, playing beach volleyball, meditating, or simply sitting still and doing nothing.
The beach on Saadiyat Island is excellent for swimming, tanning, relaxing, paddle boarding, kayaking, and other watersports and beachside activities. You can venture farther off the coast for surfing and bodyboarding.
Where should you go to swim or engage in beach activities and watersports? You have many options. They include the following:
Kai Beach
Kai Beach is one of the best beaches in Abu Dhabi. It’s a 500-meter-long stretch of unspoiled, sugary soft white sands. There are sunbeds shaded by beach umbrellas set several meters off the shore; they are available to beachgoers on a first-come, first-served basis. There are toilets and showers for your convenience and a restaurant onsite for drinks and snacks.
Kai Beach is open from 7am until sunset every day. You don’t need reservations to visit. However, note that it’s Ladies Day every Thursday and Friday; the only males allowed then are little boys four years old and younger.
Saadiyat Beach Club
Saadiyat Beach Club offers all-round beachside recreation, spectacular waterfront views and outstanding facilities. It stands on a 39,500-square-meter site on the coast of the Arabian Gulf, adjacent to Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort.
Saadiyat Beach Club is a total lifestyle venue and destination. The sea and the white-sand beach are readily accessible. Sit by the water to watch out for dolphins or swim in the clear blue waters of the Gulf. You may also swim laps in the infinity pool or simply tread water as you appreciate the spectacular sea views.
When you get tired of swimming and playing in the water, take shelter in a cabana and enjoy some refreshments as you relax or chat with friends. You may also visit one of the onsite restaurants (e.g., Safina and La Salle) and maybe even enjoy Friday brunch, if available, for some heartier fare.
Saadiyat Beach Club also has a gym and a spa, and it’s open from 8am until sunset.
Hotel Beachfront
There are five luxury resorts in Saadiyat Island. All of them are beachfront properties, and you should be able to enjoy the beach directly from your choice of hotel.
The Resorts
Saadiyat Island brings you closer to nature, but in an accessible and luxurious way, largely thanks to its lifestyle amenities, including the following resorts or hotels:
- Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort
- Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villa
- Rixos Premium Saadiyat Island
- Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas
- Regis Saadiyat Island Resort
These properties have world-class facilities. Every one of these has multiple restaurants and other amenities, ensuring you’ll want for nothing during your Saadiyat Island vacation.
The Wild Life
The beach on Saadiyat Island is one of the quietest and cleanest stretches of beach you’ll ever be on. One reason for that is that the water off and to the north of Saadiyat Island is the Saadiyat Marine National Park.
The beach on Saadiyat Island is a nesting ground for the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), a critically endangered sea turtle. During the nesting season (March to June), every breeding sea turtle that nests in Saadiyat Island lays 100-150 eggs. The hawksbill nesting ground is clearly marked to protect the sea turtle nests from tourist incursions; be sure to stay on laid-out paths when on the beach to ensure you won’t inadvertently damage the sea turtle nests.
Aside from the hawksbill turtle, Saadiyat Island is also home to green turtles and sea snakes. Ghost crabs and other invertebrates like to burrow in the sand, while seagrass, sea snails, sponges, scallops, clams, and oysters thrive in the Island’s coastal waters.
Saadiyat Island also shelters corals and dugongs and, if you’re lucky, an afternoon spent watching the sea will include the sight of bottlenose and Indian Ocean humpback dolphins.
The Sunset
The beach on Saadiyat Island faces north to northwest, so expect spectacular sunsets. You can enjoy the sunset from anywhere along the beach facing the Arabian Gulf.
Staying at a hotel on the island should afford you a magnificent view of the Saadiyat Island sunset. All five Saadiyat Island hotels are beachfront properties.
However, the finest sunset view may belong to Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort. Its location near the island’s eastern tip and its west-facing angle offer the best vantage point. The Saadiyat Beach Club right next to it also makes a good spot for watching the sunset.
Head to Saadiyat Island for the Best Beach Vacation in Abu Dhabi
Anytime you’re longing for some beach therapy, travel to Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi.
The nine-kilometer stretch of white sand beach, the wildlife, the sunset, the amenities, and the facilities make it one of the best beach vacation destinations in the UAE capital.
