Why a Trip to Abu Dhabi is Incomplete Without Visiting the Corniche

Corniche
Corniche | © Guilhem Vellut/Flickr
Thais Kelly

When thinking of Abu Dhabi, most people associate it with the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque or the Emirates Palace. Both exude luxury and tradition, making themselves two of the most important landmarks in the capital. However, those visiting Abu Dhabi cannot forget that their stay will be incomplete without going to the Corniche. Unlike the previously mentioned attractions, the Corniche is all about fun in the sun – making itself the most popular public beach in Abu Dhabi.

The Corniche is actually the name of the 8km road located right next to Abu Dhabi’s public beach, which takes the same name. The beach is one of the most popular in the country, known for its accessibility, clean waters and plenty of fun activities for residents and visitors to enjoy. The Corniche beach is split up into three different sections: families, singles and a public beach. This separation ensures that people feel the most comfortable in whatever environment they choose to attend. To enter the family and singles areas, people must pay a mere 10AED ($2.7) and the public beach is entirely free.

Corniche

The Corniche beach singles itself out for ensuring safety to all swimmers. The beach receives approximately 30,000-50,000 visitors a month, and it’s vital that they are all safe while enjoying their day in the sun. Therefore, swimmers can only go as far as 40 meters from the shore, where they are stopped from going any further by fences. Additionally, there are a vast number of lifeguards on duty watching over all children and adults using the beach. This makes the location ideal for family outings, where parents can enjoy the sun with minimal worry for their children. The Corniche Beach is also proud to have been awarded Blue Flag status and this internationally-renowned accolade guarantees that the waters of the beach are safe and clean for bathing.

The convenience of of 1,100 free parking spaces only adds to the reason why visitors cannot miss the chance of checking out this beach. In addition, the location is blessed with a unique and breathtaking view of the Abu Dhabi skyline, making for great pictures where the sea meets the skyscrapers. Beach-goers can also enjoy a series of restaurant and cafes located at the Corniche and even rent bikes. There is everything from children’s bicycles to tandem bikes, allowing visitors to get that cheesy tourist picture on the beach!

Corniche

The Corniche is not only known for its stunning view of Abu Dhabi and incredible beach experience, it also holds several massive events throughout the year. During events, a beach stage is set up for visitors to enjoy concerts, such as Yasalam Festival: Beats on the Beach and even high-profile artists and bands when they come to perform. This provides a further reason as to why the Corniche should be on everyone’s itinerary when visiting Abu Dhabi – beach and music make the perfect match.

Corniche

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