Despite its location in the desert, Dubai features a surprising number of lush parks and stunning green spots to come and enjoy. Dubai’s parks come in many forms and sizes, with a wide range of amenities ranging from simple lawns and playgrounds to animal sanctuaries travelling between Africa and Asia. On weekends, some parks hold pop-up farmers’ markets and small stores. The following are the best parks to visit this winter. Read along and choose your favourite one to visit!
Best Parks In Dubai
1. Zabeel Park
Zabeel Park, one of the best parks in Dubai, is a sprawling green space with plenty of palms and other flora for shade, and it’s a weekend family favourite. It has a beautiful lake with boat rides, an adventure playground, covered barbeque places, a jogging track, and a small train. It also houses the Dubai Frame, which has a 500-foot viewing gallery (150 m). From October through May, Zabeel Park offers a flea market on the first Saturday of the month.
2. Al Barsha Pond Park
Al Barsha Pond Park is a welcome spot of greenery surrounding a charming, manufactured lake where you can rent a kitschy swan boat for a fun paddle around the water. There is a jogging track, bicycle rentals, playgrounds, and tennis courts in Al Barsha. Every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., the Ripe Night Market is hosted here, featuring food stalls, yoga lessons, and children’s activities. Definitely one of the parks in Dubai worth visiting.
3. Creek Park
Creek Park is one of the oldest and largest parks in Dubai. It spans about 1.6 miles (2.6 kilometres) along Dubai Creek and is popular with Bur Dubai ex-pats who come here on weekends to use the BBQ pits. The gardens are lovely, but many of the family-friendly amenities, such as playgrounds, minigolf, and a children’s museum, are outmoded.
4. Dubai Miracle Garden
When entering Dubai Miracle Garden, which encompasses about 22,000 sq ft (2000 sq m) and is billed as the world’s largest natural flower garden, there’s a sense of Alice in Wonderland-esque surrealism. Wander past flower-covered peacocks, clocks, and castles (a 60-foot-tall Mickey Mouse was the showstopper in 2018). Alternatively, unwind in a cabana complete with billowing drapes and floor couches. It is extremely popular, attracting 55,000 visitors per week, and is home to 100 million blooms. It is adjacent to the massive nine-dome Dubai Butterfly Garden. The garden is extremely crowded on Fridays, Saturdays (especially Friday afternoons), and public holidays, so go during the week if possible.
5. Al Khazzan Park
One of Dubai’s oldest public parks, the pocket-sized Al Khazzan Park, has been completely renovated and is now entirely solar-powered, making it the first “zero-energy” park in the UAE. It features a famous water tower and the Relaxed Inn the Park cafe, as well as a library stocked with old Middle Eastern magazines. Parents can also relax in a shaded space adjacent to the playground.
6. Safa Park
Safa Park, a verdant oasis in the heart of the city, embraces the new Dubai Canal, which has reduced its size slightly. A boating lake, jogging track, shady picnic spaces with BBQ pits, and a children’s playground are all part of the park.
7. Mushrif National Park
Mushrif National Park, one of Dubai’s oldest parks, dates from 1974 and encompasses more than 2 square miles (5 square kilometres) of natural Ghaf forest, which is a home for birds like owls, Orphean warblers, hoopoes, and black redstarts. Walking pathways, bicycle tracks, a huge children’s playground, pony and camel rides, a swimming pool, and BBQ pits are among the man-made attractions in the park. There are also a few basic but acceptable cafes and restaurants.
8. Wildlife Sanctuary of Ras Al Khor
The surprise Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary on Dubai Creek, bordered by roads, is a significant stopover for migratory waterbirds on the East Africa– West Asia flyway. In winter, graceful pink flamingos steal the show, but avid birdwatchers can spot more than 170 species in this 2.3-square-mile mosaic of salt flats, mudflats, mangroves, and lagoons (6.2 sq km). This is also a great location to take your toddler and have a great time watching the birds. Three easily accessible platforms house extremely sharp binoculars. Broad-billed sandpipers and Pacific golden plovers are frequently seen. Great spotted eagles and other raptors may be seen patrolling the skies during the winter. The park is open to the public from morning until sundown.
9. Al Ittihad Park
Another great park in Dubai, Al Ittihad Public Park in Jumeirah, is a beautiful green space for families, complete with a jogging track, playgrounds, an adult workout zone, and plenty of grassy spots for picnics and relaxation. There is also a lot of vegetation, with a lot of plants and trees identified. The park is surrounded by cafes and restaurants.
10. Burj Park
Burj Park, located in the heart of Dubai and surrounded by the Dubai Mall, the Burj Khalifa, and the Dubai Opera House, is a welcome sliver of green among Dubai’s towering steel and glass buildings. This is the place to go for the greatest views of the Burj Lake fountain displays. Dubai’s performance fountain is the tallest in the world, with fountain shows shooting up to 50 stories high. Burj Park is also a popular spot for viewing and photographing the neighbouring high-rises. The park includes a planted green space at the base of the Burj Khalifa as well as a man-made island opposite it that is accessible by bridge. The park’s wide lakefront promenade is a favourite nighttime destination for strollers, joggers, and bikers.
11. Al Mamzar Beach Park
In the city’s northern outskirts, Al Mamzar Beach Park combines beach and green space. This public park includes the tip of a small peninsula that juts out into the sea and faces Sharjah. The majority of guests who come here come for the beaches. There are five sandy strips: four on the beach park’s eastern side and one on its western side. Between them is a vast (55,000-meter) stretch of manicured lawn surrounded by palm trees, with several curving routes for cycling, running, and strolling. There are designated barbecue sites in the garden space, as well as plenty of space for picnicking. If you haven’t had enough, there are several food stalls and a few cafés within the park that offer refreshments.
Here you have it now! It is true that Dubai is located in the desert, but it offers some natural jewels that will really help you unwind after a long and tiring week at work. Whether you feel sporty and would like to do some biking or jogging, or just need to relax, Dubai’s Parks are a perfect destination to head to during the weekends. Which ones on our list have you visited before? How was the experience? Tell us all about it in the comment section down below.
