# Snoopy Island, Fujairah > Snoopy Island is a rocky islet about 200 m off Al Aqah beach in northern Fujairah — the east coast's best shore snorkeling. The island itself is free; the easy way in is the Sandy Beach Hotel day pass, AED 150, daily 9:00–18:00. Plan 2–3 hours in the water and about two hours' drive from Dubai. Web page: https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/fujairah/snoopy-island - City: [Fujairah](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/fujairah), United Arab Emirates - YesGo score: 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 2 h - Entry: Free; Sandy Beach day pass AED 150 - Opening hours: Open water, no gate; Sandy Beach day pass daily 9:00–18:00, public holidays included - With kids: Fine with kids - Island access: Free — it's open sea - Sandy Beach day pass: AED 150 adult, AED 100 child - Day pass hours: 9:00–18:00 daily, UAE public holidays included - Free entry point: Public stretch of beach next to the hotel — no shade, no rentals - Distance from shore: About 200 m — swim or kayak - Depth: 2–3 m on the beach side, wall to 5–7 m on the west - Mask and fins rental: Unofficial: AED 30–60 on the beach - Getting there: ≈ 43 km from Fujairah Fort, ≈ 144 km from Deira (Dubai) — car or taxi - Best season: October to April, mornings - Coordinates: 25.49222, 56.36417 - Facts checked: 03.11.2026 ## Key facts - **≈ 200 m** — from the sand at Al Aqah to the island (source: ISRA (Important Shark and Ray Areas), Snoopy Island factsheet; English Wikipedia, Al Aqah) - **Up to 6–7 m** — deep: 2–3 m on the east side, a wall to 5–6 m on the west (source: ISRA — to 6 m; English Wikipedia, Al Aqah — about 7 m) - **Marine reserve** — the island sits inside the Al Aqah protected area (source: ISRA, Snoopy Island factsheet; English Wikipedia, Al Aqah) - **Reef sharks** — blacktip reef sharks circle the island year-round, mostly by day (source: ISRA, Snoopy Island factsheet) - **Snoopy's outline** — the rock looks like the cartoon beagle lying on his back (source: English Wikipedia, Snoopy Island) - **Al Aqah Island** — its Arabic name, after the village on the shore (source: English Wikipedia, Snoopy Island; Wikidata Q21735383) - **Gulf of Oman** — the UAE's east coast — not the Persian Gulf side like Dubai (source: English Wikipedia, Snoopy Island; Wikidata Q21735383) - **≈ 43 km** — by road from Fujairah Fort, about 45 minutes with no traffic (source: OpenStreetMap and OSRM routing, YesGo calculation) - **≈ 144 km** — by road from Deira, about two hours (source: OpenStreetMap and OSRM routing, YesGo calculation; uaeinform gives about 140 km) - **October–April** — the best season: calmer water, bearable heat (source: uaeinform, Snoopy Island; D&B Dubai guide) ## Is Snoopy Island free? Yes — the island is open sea and nobody charges you to swim to it. What costs money is the beach. The simplest entry point is **Sandy Beach Hotel & Resort**, right opposite the island: a day pass is **AED 150** for adults and **AED 100** for children, valid 9:00–18:00 every day, public holidays included. The pass covers the beach with loungers, the pool, changing rooms, showers and one towel each. The packages that add food credit or a watersports credit (a kayak or paddleboard for an hour, or a mask and fins for the day) show “bookings temporarily closed” on the hotel site, so ask the hotel before you count on them. You buy the pass on the hotel's own website and pay by card online. The free option is the public stretch of Al Aqah beach next to the hotel: local guides describe walking in and swimming out at no cost, but there's no shade, no rental and no shower. We couldn't confirm where the public section starts and ends, so treat it as unverified. > **You have to swim there** The island is in open water about 200 m out. That's not far, but don't try it unless you're a confident swimmer with a mask and fins. Weak swimmers and kids are better off on a kayak — or staying near the shore, where there's coral in the shallows too. ## Snorkeling at Snoopy Island: what you'll see Snoopy Island is a small rock in the Gulf of Oman off the village of **Al Aqah** in northern Fujairah. From the beach its outline looks like Snoopy lying on his back, hence the name; in Arabic it's simply Al Aqah Island. People come for shore snorkeling and diving — the reef starts right at the rock. The water around it is part of the Al Aqah marine reserve. On the side facing the beach it's 2–3 m deep; on the west a rocky wall drops to 5–7 m. That's ideal for a mask: you see the bottom clearly without having to dive. Expect parrotfish, trumpetfish and triggerfish, turtles, and small blacktip reef sharks that circle the island all year — they're the reason it's listed as an Important Shark and Ray Area. Don't touch or feed anything. Honest take: if you're not getting in the water, two hours each way from Dubai for a view of a rock isn't worth it. If you are, this is the best reef on the east coast you can reach without a boat. ## How to get to Snoopy Island 1. From Fujairah Fort take a taxi or drive north on the coast road — about 43 km, roughly 45 minutes with no traffic. 2. You pass through Khor Fakkan (part of Sharjah emirate, home to the [Khor Fakkan waterfall](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/fujairah/khor-fakkan-waterfall)) and Bidiyah with its old [Al Badiyah Mosque](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/fujairah/al-badiyah-mosque). 3. In Al Aqah, turn off for Sandy Beach Hotel & Resort — the island sits right off its beach, about 8 km past Al Badiyah. 4. Buy the day pass on the hotel site, or head for the public stretch of beach next door. 5. From Dubai it's about 144 km and two hours by car. Intercity bus E700 runs from Dubai to Fujairah city, but from Fujairah bus station (≈ 48 km away) you still need a taxi. 6. Head back before dark — the road across the Hajar mountains to Dubai winds a lot. ## Can you swim to Snoopy Island? Yes. It's about 200 m from the beach, and the water is usually calmest in the morning. A reasonably fit swimmer in fins gets there in five to ten minutes. The seaward side is open water, so if you're not confident, stay between the island and the shore — that's where most of the coral is anyway. Whether you're allowed to climb onto the rock itself, we couldn't confirm from any official source. The edge is rocky with coral rubble, so reef shoes are a good idea either way. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] I can comfortably swim 200 m in the sea — or I'll take a kayak - [ ] Mask, snorkel and fins — my own or rented - [ ] Reef shoes for the rocky edge - [ ] Reef-safe sunscreen and water - [ ] Day pass booked, or the public beach chosen - [ ] Early start from Dubai — in the water before the heat - [ ] Back on the road before dark ## Where to stay near Snoopy Island Closest is **Sandy Beach Hotel & Resort** — the island is directly opposite its beach, and it has a PADI dive centre. If you want to snorkel at sunrise, when the water is flattest, stay here and you're two minutes from the sea. Several more large resorts line the same road within 1–2 km. From those you can walk the beach or drive over, and if your hotel is on the sand you don't need the Sandy Beach pass at all. An overnight stay makes sense if you're combining the island with the rest of the east coast — the fort and museum in Fujairah city, Al Badiyah Mosque, the Khor Fakkan waterfall. For a single day trip from Dubai, you can skip it. ## Snoopy Island, Fujairah Corniche or Khor Fakkan waterfall | | Snoopy Island | Fujairah Corniche | Khor Fakkan waterfall | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Where | Al Aqah, north Fujairah | Fujairah city | Khor Fakkan | | Emirate | Fujairah | Fujairah | Sharjah | | From Fujairah Fort, straight line | ≈ 40 km | ≈ 2 km | ≈ 25 km | | From Snoopy Island, straight line | — | ≈ 40 km | ≈ 14 km | | Main thing to do | Snorkeling and diving | Seaside walk | Walk and photos | If you're crossing to the east coast for the sea, pick Snoopy Island. The corniche and the waterfall are good stops on the way, but not worth two hours from Dubai on their own. ## Fujairah by the water: compare and choose Waterside places on the east coast scored by YesGo. - [Fujairah Corniche](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/fujairah/fujairah-corniche) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Khor Fakkan Waterfall](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/fujairah/khor-fakkan-waterfall) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free - [Snoopy Island](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/fujairah/snoopy-island) — YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free; Sandy Beach day pass AED 150 ## The east coast in a day Snorkel at the island in the morning, then head south: the old Al Badiyah Mosque, the Khor Fakkan waterfall and Fujairah Fort by evening. YesGo works out the timing and transfers. 1. [Snoopy Island](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/fujairah/snoopy-island) — YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free; Sandy Beach day pass AED 150 2. [Al Badiyah Mosque](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/fujairah/al-badiyah-mosque) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free 3. [Khor Fakkan Waterfall](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/fujairah/khor-fakkan-waterfall) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free 4. [Fujairah Fort](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/fujairah/fujairah-fort) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free (unofficial) > **Be there when the beach opens** Mornings bring calmer, clearer water and fewer people at the island. October to April is the season; in summer the beach is scorching and the sea feels like a warm bath. ## Don't confuse Snoopy Island has nothing to do with the Planet Snoopy theme parks — it's just a rock shaped like the cartoon dog. Nor is it Dibba Rock, a separate island and snorkel spot off the town of Dibba further north. ## Tips - Not a strong swimmer? Take a kayak — the island is only about 200 m out. - Wear reef shoes: the island's edge is rock and broken coral. - Don't touch the coral, turtles or sharks — this is a marine reserve. - Pair the island with Al Badiyah Mosque, ten minutes' drive south. - Leave Dubai early so you're there by nine, when the hotel beach opens. - The public beach has no shade — bring an umbrella and plenty of water. ## Questions ### Where is Snoopy Island? Off the village of Al Aqah in northern Fujairah, in the Gulf of Oman, about 200 m from the shore — directly opposite the beach of Sandy Beach Hotel & Resort. ### Is Snoopy Island free? The island is. Swimming out from the public beach next to the hotel is free; the Sandy Beach day pass is AED 150 for adults and AED 100 for children. ### Can you swim to Snoopy Island? Yes, it's about 200 m. You need to be a confident swimmer, ideally with mask and fins; otherwise take a kayak. ### How far is Snoopy Island from Dubai? About 144 km from Deira by road — around two hours by car or taxi. ### Can you get to Snoopy Island by bus? Only partly. Bus E700 runs from Dubai to Fujairah city; from the bus station it's about 45–50 minutes to Al Aqah by taxi. ### What are the Sandy Beach day pass hours? 9:00 to 18:00 every day, including UAE public holidays. ### What can you see snorkeling at Snoopy Island? Coral, parrotfish, trumpetfish, triggerfish, turtles and small blacktip reef sharks, which stay around the island all year. ### When is the best time to visit Snoopy Island? October to April, in the morning, when the water is calmer and the beach is quieter. ### Is Snoopy Island worth it? If you'll snorkel, yes — it's the best shore reef on the east coast. If you won't get in the water, the long drive isn't worth it for the view alone. ## How we checked Day pass prices and hours come from Sandy Beach's official website. Depth, distance from shore and the sharks are checked against the ISRA factsheet and English Wikipedia. Distances are our own OpenStreetMap calculation. uaeinform describes a free public beach, while Property Finder says access is through the hotel only — so the public beach is marked unverified. Rental prices are unofficial. Sources disagree on the E700 fare (AED 25 vs 30) and its Dubai terminus (Union or Etisalat), so we quote neither. ## Sources - Sandy Beach Hotel & Resort (sandybeach.ae): day pass prices, hours and inclusions, 03.11.2026 - ISRA (Important Shark and Ray Areas): Snoopy Island factsheet - English Wikipedia: Snoopy Island, Al Aqah; Wikidata Q21735383 - OpenStreetMap (Nominatim) and OSRM routing — coordinates and distances, 03.11.2026 - uaeinform: Snoopy Island, 2026; Property Finder: day pass guide, 2025; D&B Dubai guide - Gulf News, dubai-online.com — intercity bus E700 --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.