Dubai Marina
A three-kilometre man-made canal ringed by 200 towers, yachts and a seven-kilometre promenade — Dubai's most walkable waterfront and its sunset-cruise departure point.
Dubai Marina was dug from the desert in the 2000s: a 3-km canal connected to the Gulf at both ends, lined with the densest cluster of skyscrapers in the city. Around 120,000 people live in its towers, which is why — unlike Downtown — it has neighbourhood life: joggers at dawn, families on the promenade at dusk, and cafés that never seem to close.
What to do
- Walk Marina Walk, the 7-km promenade circling the water; the stretch by Pier 7 and the yacht club is the prettiest after sunset.
- Take a cruise: private yachts, catamarans and dinner dhows all leave from Marina berths and pass Bluewaters, JBR, the Palm and Burj Al Arab.
- Cross the footbridge at the western end to The Walk at JBR and the beach.
- Look up: Cayan Tower twists 90 degrees over its height; Princess Tower was the world's tallest residential building when finished.
Getting there
The Red Line stops at Sobha Realty and DMCC stations on the Marina's landward edge; the Dubai Tram then loops through the towers to JBR and the Palm Jumeirah monorail. From Downtown it is 20–30 minutes by taxi outside rush hour.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. It was excavated and flooded from the Gulf in the early 2000s; the towers followed over the next decade.
