Beach town!  Dubai’s ritzy skyscrapers and over the top malls may get much of the worldwide attention, but Dubai is at its heart a BEACH TOWN.  If you want proof, just drive along Jumeirah Beach Road and stop at any of the number of public beaches.  My favorite is KITE BEACH, where the gigantic kitesailing contraptions form an art gallery in the sky, and where you can get a great view of the awesome sail shaped Burj Al Arab.

Kite Beach is a free public beach.  Parking is minimal – about 4 Dirham/hour ($1).  On weekends and holidays it can get pretty crowded, but I have not had a problem finding a place to park.  There is a popular jogging trail that runs through Kite Beach – it starts further down in Jumeirah and ends at the Burj Al Arab.  The trail is a nice cushioned and wide track, and Jimmy and I will look forward to travelling the full length once things cool off a bit!

Jimmy on the Kite Beach active trail, which goes from Burj Al Arab through to Jumeirah.