Saadiyat Island

Saadiyat Island is Abu Dhabi's cultural district, a low-lying natural island just offshore from the capital that has been transformed into a showcase of world-class museums and protected beaches. Its name means "island of happiness," and its Cultural District is intended to make it one of the world's great destinations for art and heritage.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi is its flagship. Designed by Jean Nouvel beneath a vast latticed dome that scatters a shifting "rain of light" over the galleries below, the museum appears to float on the sea as the anchor of an ambitious quarter that is also to include a Guggenheim by Frank Gehry, the Zayed National Museum and a performing arts centre, several of them still under construction.

Beyond the galleries, the island protects a rare stretch of wild coast. Its soft white beaches are among the finest in the emirate and serve as nesting grounds for endangered hawksbill turtles, while dolphins are sometimes seen offshore. Careful planning has kept parts of the shoreline and dunes as protected habitat even as luxury resorts, villas and a golf course have risen inland.

Visitors can combine culture and coast in a single day. The island is a short drive from downtown Abu Dhabi across connecting bridges, fully accessible and dotted with beach clubs and hotels. Reserve museum tickets in advance, allow several hours for the Louvre alone, and consider a morning among the galleries followed by an afternoon on the sand. Facilities are modern and upmarket, so budget accordingly for dining, sunbeds and beach-club access, which can add up quickly. Guided turtle-nesting walks run in season, and the beach clubs rent loungers by the day for those who want to linger.