# Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah > Al Marjan Island is a man-made archipelago of four islands in Ras Al Khaimah, 25–30 minutes by taxi from the old town. It's free to visit: the palm-lined promenade, cycle track and sunset cost nothing; hotel beaches need a day pass. Allow two hours. Note: all beaches in the emirate are currently closed until further notice — no swimming. Web page: https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/al-marjan-island - City: [Ras Al Khaimah](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah), United Arab Emirates - YesGo score: 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 2 h - Opening hours: Island and promenade open 24 hours; the emirate's beaches are closed until further notice - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free — the island is an open residential and resort district - Beaches: Closed until further notice: Ras Al Khaimah has shut every beach in the emirate, including Marjan Island and its hotel beaches - Hotel beaches: Guests or day-pass holders only; each hotel sets its own price - Wynn resort: Under construction, opening announced for September 2027 - Time needed: 1.5–2 hours for a walk and sunset; a full day with a hotel day pass - From the old town: ≈ 29 km, 25–30 minutes by taxi - From Dubai: ≈ 75–80 km, 1–1.5 hours by car or taxi - Payment: All Ras Al Khaimah taxis take bank cards - Coordinates: 25.67186, 55.74068 - Facts checked: 03.11.2026 ## Key facts - **4 islands** — Breeze, Treasure, Dream and View — a coral-shaped archipelago (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Marjan; Visit Ras Al Khaimah) - **4.5 km** — how far the archipelago reaches into the Gulf (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Visit Ras Al Khaimah; Property Finder) - **Sept 2027** — announced opening of Wynn Al Marjan Island, home to the UAE's first casino (source: Wynn Resorts Q2 2026 results (Gulf News, iGaming Business); English Wikipedia) - **2.7 km²** — total area of the four islands (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Wikidata) - **≈ 7.8 km** — of beaches, public and hotel-owned (source: Visit Ras Al Khaimah; Property Finder (Marjan says “over 7 km”)) - **2 km** — of promenade on Breeze Island (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **5 km** — of waterfront around Dream Island (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Reclaimed land** — built off the coast of Al Jazirah Al Hamra (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Guinness records** — set by the New Year's Eve fireworks and drone shows over the islands (source: Gulf News; The National; Khaleej Times) - **≈ 29 km** — by road from the National Museum in the old town (source: YesGo calculation with OSRM (OpenStreetMap); Visit Ras Al Khaimah — “26 minutes from the city centre”) > **Beaches are closed — no swimming** Ras Al Khaimah has closed every beach in the emirate **until further notice**. Marjan Island's public beaches and the Mövenpick, DoubleTree and Rixos hotel beaches are on the closure list; hotels say sea swimming is banned while pools and restaurants stay open. The UAE environment ministry confirmed an oil spill off neighbouring Umm Al Quwain. No reopening date yet — check local news before you go. ## Things to do on Al Marjan Island With the sea off-limits, Al Marjan Island is a place for a **waterfront walk and a sunset**, not a beach day. The palm-lined promenade, running and cycling track, parks and playgrounds are free and open around the clock. E-scooter hire and food trucks line parts of the corniche. The islands face west, so the sun drops straight into the Gulf — the best time to come is an hour before sunset. After dark the resort hotels light up along the shore. For a longer stay, buy a **hotel day pass** for pool, shade and lunch. There are no museums, souks or old buildings here: for history, head to the old town or the abandoned pearling village of [Jazirat Al Hamra](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/jazirat-al-hamra) next door. ## What to see and do - Walk or cycle the promenade on Breeze Island — about 2 km by the water. - Watch the sunset over the Gulf from the western shore. - Spend a day at a resort pool with a day pass while the beaches are shut. - Have lunch or dinner at one of the resort restaurants. - See the Wynn Al Marjan Island tower going up. - Let the kids loose in the playgrounds along the corniche. ## Al Marjan Island beaches: public vs hotel Right now you can't swim anywhere on the island — public stretches and hotel beaches are both closed. Once they reopen, the set-up is simple: some of the shoreline is public and free, with few facilities and lifeguards not guaranteed; loungers, shade, showers and lifeguards come with the hotel beaches. Hotel beaches are for guests or day-pass holders. Each resort sets its own price, often as a food-and-drink credit, so call the hotel on the day. UAE dress norms apply: swimwear on the beach and by the pool only, covered shoulders and knees in shops and on the street. ## Wynn Al Marjan Island: when does the casino open? **Wynn Al Marjan Island** is a large integrated resort — hotel, restaurants and the UAE's first casino — under construction on the island. Wynn Resorts has announced a **September 2027** opening, later than the early-2027 date it gave before. No exact day has been set. For now it's a fenced building site you can only see from the road and promenade. Don't plan a trip around it yet. ## How to get to Al Marjan Island 1. From the old town (National Museum): taxi only — about 29 km, 25–30 minutes. No Ras Al Khaimah city bus goes to the island. 2. Book through the Careem or Sayr app: both bring official metered Hala RAKTA taxis, and every Ras Al Khaimah taxi takes bank cards. 3. From Dubai on a budget: RAKTA intercity bus to Al Hamra Bus Station in Ras Al Khaimah (about AED 30, 1.5–2 hours), then a taxi of about 20 km, roughly 20 minutes. 4. From Dubai, fastest: taxi or car direct — 75–80 km on the E311 or E611, about an hour without traffic, longer on Friday evenings. 5. Give the driver your hotel's name as the drop-off point, and book the ride back in advance — late in the evening taxis are scarce. ## Is Al Marjan Island worth visiting? Yes, if you're already in Ras Al Khaimah: a sunset walk here is an easy, free evening, and it pairs well with Jazirat Al Hamra. It also works as a resort base if you want a quieter, cheaper alternative to Dubai's beach hotels. Not as a day trip from Dubai while the beaches are closed — that's two to three hours on the road for a promenade. And not for the casino, which isn't open yet. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Checked the news: are Ras Al Khaimah's beaches open again? - [ ] Called the hotel about a day pass, if I want a pool or beach - [ ] Careem or Sayr app installed - [ ] Bank card with me — taxis and cafés take cards - [ ] Water and a hat — there's little shade on the promenade - [ ] Timed the trip to arrive before sunset ## Waterside places in Ras Al Khaimah compared Every waterside place in Ras Al Khaimah rated by YesGo. - [Al Qawasim Corniche](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/ras-al-khaimah-corniche) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Al Marjan Island](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/al-marjan-island) — YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free; beaches closed - [Ras Al Khaimah mangroves](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/ras-al-khaimah-mangroves) — YesGo score 23/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ AED 100–180, unofficial - [Suwaidi Pearls farm](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/suwaidi-pearls) — YesGo score 21/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ AED 250 (unofficial) ## Ras Al Khaimah in a day: museum to island sunset The fort museum in the morning, the corniche at midday, the ghost pearling village in the late afternoon and sunset on Al Marjan Island. 1. [National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/ras-al-khaimah-national-museum) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · AED 5, children 5–13 AED 2 2. [Al Qawasim Corniche](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/ras-al-khaimah-corniche) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free 3. [Al Jazirat Al Hamra ghost town](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/jazirat-al-hamra) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free 4. [Al Marjan Island](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/al-marjan-island) — YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free; beaches closed > **Come an hour before sunset** At midday the promenade is hot with almost no shade, especially from May to September. Arrive an hour before sunset, then stay for the lights. The most comfortable months are November to April. ## Good to know Marjan means “coral” in Arabic, which is why hotels and restaurants called Marjan turn up all over the world; this page is about the archipelago in Ras Al Khaimah. Marjan is also the name of the island's master developer. It is not Palm Jumeirah — that's another reclaimed island, in Dubai, about 80 km south-west. ## Tips - Pair the island with Jazirat Al Hamra, about 12 km and 15 minutes by taxi — go there before sunset, then watch the sun go down on Al Marjan. - While the sea is closed, pick a hotel with a big pool rather than coming for the beach. - Book taxis via Careem: same official cabs, but you see the fare upfront. - [Jebel Jais](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/ras-al-khaimah/jebel-jais) is on the other side of the emirate — doing both takes a full day. - New Year's Eve brings fireworks over the islands — book a hotel for those dates well ahead. ## Questions ### Can you swim at Al Marjan Island right now? No. Ras Al Khaimah has closed all beaches in the emirate until further notice, hotel beaches on the island included. Hotel pools are open. ### Is Al Marjan Island free to visit? Yes. It's an open district with public roads and a promenade. You pay only for hotel day passes, restaurants and activities. ### How do I get to Al Marjan Island from Dubai? Fastest by taxi or car — about an hour without traffic. Cheaper: RAKTA intercity bus to Ras Al Khaimah, then a 20-minute taxi. ### Is there a bus to Al Marjan Island? No city bus serves the island. Take a Hala RAKTA taxi booked through Careem or the Sayr app; they all accept cards. ### When will Wynn Al Marjan Island open? Wynn Resorts has announced a September 2027 opening. No exact date has been given. ### Is there a casino on Al Marjan Island? Not yet. The UAE's first casino will be inside Wynn Al Marjan Island, which is still under construction. ### Is Al Marjan Island worth visiting? Worth it for a sunset walk if you're in Ras Al Khaimah, or as a resort base. Not worth a day trip from Dubai while the beaches are closed. ### How long do you need at Al Marjan Island? 1.5–2 hours for the promenade and sunset; a full day if you book a hotel day pass. ### Is Al Marjan Island man-made? Yes — it's a reclaimed archipelago of four islands, Breeze, Treasure, Dream and View, reaching 4.5 km into the Gulf. ## How we checked The beach closure is checked against Khaleej Times, Al-Monitor and Gulf News; the emirate gave no reason, while the UAE environment ministry confirmed the oil spill off Umm Al Quwain. We found no reopening announcement. The Wynn date comes from Wynn Resorts' own results. Sources disagree on when construction began, so we leave it out. Distances are our own OpenStreetMap calculation; we don't repeat the marketing claim of “45 minutes from Dubai”. Hotels change day-pass prices often, so we don't quote them. ## Sources - Khaleej Times and Al-Monitor (Reuters): Ras Al Khaimah closes all beaches until further notice, 24–25.10.2026 - Gulf News: full list of beach closures in Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain, updated 28.10.2026 - Gulf News and iGaming Business: Wynn Resorts on the Wynn Al Marjan Island opening, 05.08.2026 - English and Russian Wikipedia: Al Marjan Island; Wikidata Q4704385 - Visit Ras Al Khaimah (the emirate's tourism board): Al Marjan Island, beaches, buses and taxis - Marjan (master developer); Property Finder area guide - Gulf News and RAKTA: card payment in all Ras Al Khaimah taxis - OpenStreetMap and OSRM: distances and driving times, 03.11.2026 --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.