Al Marjan is RAK's answer to Dubai's Palm Jumeirah — a string of four man-made coral-shaped islands jutting into the Gulf about 25 kilometres south of the city. The development is the centre of RAK's resort tourism: long curving public beaches, a boardwalk, several large hotels, and the under-construction Wynn Al Marjan, which when it opens in 2027 will be the first casino-resort in the UAE.
For day visitors the appeal is the long public stretches of beach and the calm, shallow water, plus a row of beach clubs that sell day passes if you want a sunbed and a pool. The Marjan boardwalk is good for a walk at sunset with the Dubai skyline just visible to the south. Avoid summer afternoons — there is almost no shade and the sand is brutal.