Explore Abu Dhabi's exquisite nature from pristine white sandy beaches to a stunning biodiversity hotspot.

Saadiyat Beach

With pristine white sands stretching out along a generous shore, Saadiyat Beach maintains its reputation as one of the most desirable beach locations in the UAE. It’s home to everything from beach yoga classes to eco-friendly watersports activities such as windsurfing and sailing, with attentive staff and leisure outlets helping you make the most of your beach experience.

Yas Beach

Set on a majestic stretch of white sand, sun-seekers holidaying at any of Yas Island’s hotels and hotel apartments can enjoy complimentary access to the island’s crystal clear waters and natural mangrove surrounds. Easily accessible to all of the island’s diverse leisure activities, the laid-back Yas Beach is a blissful escape on the emirate’s entertainment district, providing an idyllic and tranquil getaway. 

Corniche Beach

This beautiful beach isn’t just home to turquoise water and soft, white sand, it also has a beautiful seaside boardwalk, with well-kept walkways home to manicured gardens and benches overlooking the picturesque Arabian Gulf. Sunset is a great time to capture a few photos, so don’t forget to bring your phone.

Mangrove National Park

Just outside Abu Dhabi city centre, the sprawling Mangrove National Park is a jewel in the UAE capital’s crown. An ideal place for families, bird watchers and photographers looking to escape the hustle of the city for a few hours, this beautiful and surprising park continues to be one of the emirate’s most important ecological assets, protected by the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD). Mangrove National Park constitutes about 75 per cent of the total mangrove forest area in the UAE and is a biodiversity hotspot that includes mangrove forests, salt marshes, mudflats, and algal communities.

Emirates Park Zoo

Perfect for families, this zoo is home to over 1,700 animals, including a majestic pair of white tigers, a 31-year-old 300kg-plus Siberian bear, lions, cheetahs and dozens of zebras. Located in Al Bahia, a north-east Abu Dhabi suburb, this zoo boasts a park-wide misting system that keeps animals and visitors cool in the summer months.

Al Ain Zoo

Families should head to Al Ain Zoo, home to over 4,000 animals, and enjoy up-close giraffe feeding, camel riding and the inviting Elezba petting zoo. This spacious and well-kept zoo is the region's largest and most acclaimed, with transparent enclosures home to indigenous and exotic species including Arabian oryx, the big-horned Barbary sheep, rhinos, hippos, tigers, lions and more.

Sir Bani Yas Island

A nature-based destination home to stunning wildlife, a range of family-friendly adventure activities, five-star boutique hotels, luxury villas, purpose-built stables and historical sites, Sir Bani Yas Island is one of eight islands making up the desert islands of Al Dhafra. Awarded the World’s Leading Sustainable Tourism Destination at the 2014 World Travel Awards, more than half of this incredible island is made up of the Arabian Wildlife Park, one of the region’s largest wildlife reserves home to more than 17,000 free-roaming animals, including Arabian oryx, gazelles, giraffes, hyenas and cheetahs.