Living in Port de La Mer

History

La Mer, Meraas’s beach district in Jumeirah 1, opened to the public on 15 October 2017. The National reported that it covered 1.24 million square metres of existing and reclaimed land, with more than 130 shops, cafés and restaurants in its first phase.

Port de La Mer is the residential part, at the tip of La Mer’s north peninsula. By September 2018 Meraas was building the first phase, La Côte: about 400 one- to four-bedroom apartments and a two-storey penthouse in five low-rise buildings, due for completion at the end of 2020 (What’s On; Gulf News). The plans also included a 192-berth superyacht marina. Later phases followed, including La Rive, La Sirène, Le Pont, Le Ciel and La Voile. Meraas now lists every phase as sold out and calls Le Soleil, on the edge of the island, the final addition.

What it’s like to live here

Homes are low-rise, Mediterranean-style apartment buildings around the marina, from one-bedroom flats to duplexes and penthouses. Bayut lists one- to five-bedroom homes, and La Côte’s units run from about 1,088 to 3,045 sq ft. Residents have covered parking, shared pools and gyms, and private beach access. Meraas says the community has 2.5 km of beaches and a marina and yacht club with more than 190 berths.

Next door, La Mer is a public beach district, and Meraas counts 55 places to eat along the waterfront. Vehicle access to the residential area is controlled, and visitors use paid parking along the La Mer promenade (Property Finder). Meraas also built Sur La Mer, 147 three- to five-bedroom townhouses (Bayut), and is now selling Solaya and Jumeirah Asora Bay at La Mer.

Who it suits

Property Finder’s lifestyle scores are highest for retirees (60%), then families (42%) and working professionals (41%). Indian renters are the largest group at 22%, followed by British (13%), French (8%) and Emirati (7%). It suits people who want a low-rise flat by the sea, with City Walk and Downtown about 10 minutes away by car (Meraas).

For investors it is a prime rental market rather than a high-yield one: Property Finder puts the gross yield at about 4.6% (October 2026). Of the 719 rental contracts Property Finder recorded in the past year, 196 were in La Côte, 144 in La Rive and 143 in La Sirène.

Getting around

There is no Metro station. The nearest are on Sheikh Zayed Road: World Trade Centre about 4.1 km away and Emirates Towers about 4.3 km (Property Finder). Bayut puts World Trade Centre station about 15 minutes away by car. It also says residents must leave the community to catch a bus, with Palm Strip Center and Jumeirah Centre stops about five minutes’ drive away. Most residents will need a car.

Meraas puts City Walk and Downtown Dubai about 10 minutes away, Dubai International Airport 15 minutes and Al Maktoum International Airport 45 minutes. Bayut’s estimates are a little longer: about 12 minutes to City Walk and about 20 minutes to Dubai International Airport. The community can also be reached by sea, through the marina.

Schools, healthcare and shopping

There is no school inside Port de La Mer. Property Finder counts 11 schools within 5 km, most of them following the UK curriculum (KHDA 2026 data). Jumeira Baccalaureate School (IB, rated Very Good, AED 64,000 to 96,000 a year) is about 2 km away. Al Shurooq Private School (Ministry of Education curriculum, rated Good) is about 2.5 km away and Citizens School (UK, rated Good, AED 42,000 to 85,000) about 3.1 km. Bayut also lists GEMS Wellington Primary School (British, rated Very Good by KHDA) and Odyssey and Kinderville nurseries within a 20-minute drive.

Bayut puts the Iranian Hospital about 10 minutes away, and Arya Clinic and NMC Healthcare 8 to 10 minutes. There is a Géant Express in the community, a Spinneys about six minutes’ drive away and Mercato Mall about 11 minutes’ drive (Bayut).

Things to check before you rent or buy

• Know the building. Phases differ in size, view and price. Recorded sales in September and October 2026 ran from AED 1,930 per sq ft for a one-bedroom in La Côte to AED 4,704 per sq ft for a three-bedroom in Le Ciel (Property Finder).
• Check the handover status. Meraas lists Le Soleil as sold out but gives no completion date, and Property Finder shows no rental contracts there yet.
• Check what the home faces. Open sea, the marina or another building makes a real difference to price and rent.
• Ask about parking. Residents have covered parking, but vehicle access is controlled and visitors use paid parking on the La Mer promenade.
• Compare asking prices with recorded sales. Property Finder’s median asking price is AED 4.35 million, while its average recorded sale over the past year is about AED 3.88 million.
• Ask for the latest service charge statement before you buy.
• Expect a slower market. Property Finder recorded 117 sales in the past 12 months, 50% fewer than a year earlier.