Yas Beach
More than just a stretch of sand, Yas Beach is a complete island destination for the entire family. There are bars, restaurants, swimming pools, watersports, fitness classes and, yes, a beach. Noukhada Watersports organises non-motorised watersports at Yas Beach, including kayaking, sailing and snorkelling. There’s also a dedicated kids’ swimming pool and regular activities such as sandcastle-building and face painting. And if you’re looking for something a bit out of the ordinary, book one of the VIP cabanas for the ultimate family beach day without having to entertain other people’s kids who latch onto your own.
Sun-Thu: Dhs50 per person, free (children under 12); Fri-Sat: Dhs100 per person, free (children under 12). Beach cabana: Dhs200 per couple (Sun-Thu), Dhs400 per couple (Fri-Sat). Pool cabana: Dhs400 per couple (Sun-Thu), Dhs600 per couple (Fri-Sat). Open Sun-Thu 10am-7pm, Fri-Sat 10am-10pm. Yas Beach, opposite Crowne Plaza Yas Island (050 952 2283).
Yas Links
Set alongside the ocean, playing golf at Yas Links is as beautiful as it is challenging. And you can book the kids in for lessons with PGA golf pro, Mark Jones, whilst you enjoy a coffee or lunch down at Hickory’s Sports Bar. Lessons cost Dhs599 for a nine-week course for children aged four to six and Dhs780 for children aged seven to 12, for a longer, 90-minute lesson. The Links offer free junior golf weeks for kids throughout the year so it’s worth keeping an eye out online for when these dates pop up.
Yas Links, Yas Island, www.yaslinks.com (02 810 7710).
Yas Mall
For retail therapy on Yas Island, look no further than this giant shopping centre. Yas Mall is home to almost every shop you can imagine and there’s a 20-screen Vox Cinema for movie fans and an Adventure HQ with an indoor caving network. After all this, you’ll most likely be hungry. As well as the usual food court options, there’s family favorite Pizza Express (where kids under 12 dining with an adult eat free all this month!) and fun eatery, Giraffe, for something a little different. More than enough for a lazy weekend day of shopping, movie-watching and eating.
Open daily 10am-midnight (shops). Yas Mall, Yas West, www.yasmall.ae (02 414 6401).
Yas Marina
The marina isn’t just about boats. Sure, it’s full of boats, which makes for quite a sight, especially at night, when the gleaming yachts reflect the colours of the iconic Yas Viceroy. But why not get out onto the water rather than just observing from the shoreline?
The guys down at Eywoa (www.eywoa.com) can organise watersport activities such as wakeboarding and kitesurfing for the whole family. There are also some more sedate ocean-faring options –cruises with Captain Tony’s (www.captaintonys.ae) or bespoke trips with Azure Marine Charters (www.azurecharters.com).
Only at Yas Marina: Seawings
To get an all-together-different view of Yas Island, and the rest of Abu Dhabi, take off on a flight with Seawings. You’ll fly over Yas Marina Circuit, Ferrari World and around the city, seeing Emirates Palace, Sheikh Zayed Bridge and the mangroves during the 25-minute flight. It’ll be an unforgettable experience.
Dhs895 (adults), Dhs760 (children). www.seawings.ae (04 807 0708).
Yas Marina Circuit
When the F1 circus packs up and goes home, Yas Marina Circuit keeps going, with a range of activities for the entire family. For the grown-ups, get behind the wheel of everything from an Aston Martin GT4 to a single-seater Formula 3000 Yas racing car. Or, if you’d rather see how the professionals do it, passenger rides are available, too. But getting into a car isn’t the only way of experiencing the track. Every Tuesday night, the circuit is opened up to walkers, runners and cyclists for TrainYas by ActiveLife. The track is 5.5km long, so it makes for the perfect family workout. TrainYas is a free event, you just need to register on the Yas Marina Circuit website.
Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Island, www.yasmarinacircuit.com (800 927).
The Walk 2017
Gather the family and friends together to raise money for a worthy cause and walk the Yas Marina Circuit for the Imperial College London Diabetes Centre, with the support of Health Authority Abu Dhabi, Healthpoint and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, to raise awareness of diabetes.
Yas Marina Circuit, November 17, from 3pm. www.yasisland.ae/events/walk-2017.
