Amwaj Islands

Amwaj is a group of reclaimed islands off the northeastern end of Muharraq, built from the mid-2000s on shallow water and laid out around a lagoon and marina with apartment blocks, a waterfront of restaurants and one of the few public beaches on Bahrain. The lagoon is enclosed and calm enough for paddling and small craft. It is where much of Bahrain's expatriate population lives. The development includes a hospital, schools and a marina village, which makes it function as its own town rather than a resort strip.

What you actually see

• The lagoon - the enclosed water at the centre of the development.
• The marina - the moorings and the waterfront running around them.
• The public beach - one of the few open stretches of sand on the island.
• The reclamation - a district built entirely on made ground.

When to go

November to April is the comfortable season. Summer heat and humidity confine everything indoors. Evenings and weekends are busiest.

Honest expectations

It is a residential and retail development rather than a destination in itself. The beach is small and gets crowded. Water quality in the lagoon varies.

Nearby

Muharraq is southwest, and the airport is west.