Jubail Mangrove Park, Abu Dhabi
It opened to the public for the first time in February of this year, then promptly closed not long after due to the Covid-19 lockdown, but now, at long last, Jubail Mangrove Park is finally getting ready to reopen again! There’s a decent sized car park at the front of the site, and a building with a coffee shop - Crane Specialty Coffee which looks out over the boardwalks onto the mangroves.
There are three different routes you can take around the park, a short 1km walk, a 1.6km option and the longest is just 2km.
There are points of information about the mangroves at intermittent locations along the way, and several spots where you can veer off the main boardwalk to take a closer look.
One of the highlights of the longest 2km walk is the viewing tower where you can climb the two storey structure for views across the expanse of mangroves and the network of boardwalks.
It makes for a lovely trip out when the weather is not too hot, and by nature the scenery changes across the day depending on the tides. I visited in the morning, at low tide.
Despite being so close to a busy main road it's really surprisingly peaceful, and when looking back from the viewing tower it appears as though you've walked a lot further than 2km!
Jubail Mangrove Park will be open to visitors again from October 1st, and all bookings must be made in advance online at
https://park.jubailisland.ae
. One of the big things that has changed is that entry is no longer free - there is a nominal charge of Dhs15 per adult, Dhs10 per child (children under the age of seven can enter for free) and family rates are also available.
The other thing that's new this time around is the availability of more exploratory adventures - you can book a higher priced ticket for premium admission to avoid any queues on arrival or book a walking tour with a park ranger. They've also introduced the option to take to the water on a kayaking tour or an electric powered e-canoe! All details and prices are listed on the website.
The park will be open daily from 8am to 7.30pm (last entry at 6pm) from October 1st, 2020.
Note: All my images were taken on my visit to the park back in February before social distancing came into play.
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