La Mer is Dubai’s newest beachfront development, located in the Jumeriah 1 area of the city. It opened in October, and having heard quite a lot of buzz about it, Mrs E and I decided to take a look. It’s a good 40 minute drive from our place, but being a Saturday morning, the traffic was quite kind, and upon arrival, we found the massive underground parking facility, which was practically empty.

La Mer comprises of three areas, La Mer South and La Mer North, both of which are fully open now, and then a third area, The Wharf, which includes a new water park, is due for completion this year.

First impressions were really positive; we had picked a great day to visit as the weather was just perfect, with temperatures in the mid-20’s. We hadn’t come prepared for a day on the beach, rather we took advantage of the walking opportunities, to explore this exciting new location.

A great deal of effort has gone in to creating a relaxed vibe, the developers website states:

La Mer takes its inspiration from the way the sea embraces driftwood, timber, rusted metal, barrels and other items, brought by the tide to shore, many of which form the main elements of the built-up environment. This theme is visible through the architecture and public spaces, creating a welcoming and carefree place where people can feel at ease and celebrate life from the moment they set foot in the destination.

Away from the beach, there are numerous restaurants, cafes and shops to explore and a cinema due to open soon. These are all linked together with a maze of pathways, some covered, others more open, so in the heat of summer, I suspect walking will be kept to a minimum.

The development company, Meraas, were also responsible for nearby City Walk, which you can read about here – and like City Walk, one feature that I really enjoyed was the abundance of street art that can be found adorning many of La Mer’s buildings.

How about this as the location for an ATM, a recycled container; one for us aged rockers:

Some other favourites:

So, I felt La Mer to be a great new place, that I’m sure will quickly become popular with locals and tourists alike – our next visit will almost certainly be for a dinner, as we are really keen to see the area transformed by the lights of the evening.