With perfect year round temperatures, those blue skies you only dream about, unspoiled beaches as far as the eye can see and the clear warm waters of the Arabian Gulf, it is not surprising that Dubai is becoming so popular with the Irish looking for the sun, sand and and a different destination.

Dubai makes for an ideal beach holiday which is especially welcome during the damp chilly Irish winters. Nowhere else can guarantee the continuous sunny weather Dubai takes for granted day in and day out.

Dubai's main beaches run along Jumeira Beach Road and while a lot of the Beach Hotels have their own private beach clubs, there are also several public beaches such as Jumeira Beach Park and Al Mumzar Beach Park.

Most City Hotels provide a shuttle service to and from the beach as a standard service. The beaches are fringed with soft sand and sparkly clear blue water which is warm in summer and at a comfortable temperature in winter (September to May). It is advisable to always wear a high factor sun block when on the beach, even for a short while.

Beach and Health Clubs
Most major hotels have extensive leisure facilities. These will include tennis, squash and badminton courts, swimming pools, snooker, table tennis, as well as health and fitness centres, normally equipped to a very high standard. Even if you are not a guest at one of these hotels, you can usually use their facilities for a fee.

Minimal tides and currents, frequent sunshine, warm water and predictable winds guarantee good conditions for indulging in watersports. Most waterfront hotels and independent beach clubs offer a choice of dinghy sailing, windsurfing, jet skiing, water skiing, banana boating, parasailing, surfboarding, snorkelling and scuba diving.

Try parasailing with Pavilion Marine & Sports Club, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai

Beach clubs (and there are many) include: 
 - Caracalla Spa & Health Club, Le Royal Méridien, Mina Seyahi, Dubai (04 3995555) 
 - Club Joumana, Jebel Ali Hotel, Jebel Ali (04 8836000). 
 - Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa, Beach Rd, Jumeirah, Dubai (04 3461111) 
 - Dubai Water Sports Association (04 3241031) at the end of Dubai. 
 - Creek specializes in water skiing and wakeboarding and is open to non-members. 
 - Fun Sports (04 3995976) operates from a number of locations in Dubai, mainly beach clubs of large hotels.