Sandwiched between Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, easily bypassed on the motorway. Retains a fishing village character that hasn't been packaged for anyone. The mangroves and the lagoon are worth a kayak. The corniche is quiet in a way that Gulf coastlines rarely are anymore.

Umm Al Quwain's free zone is the home of liquor production and distribution for much of the UAE — a practical detail rarely mentioned but fairly central to how things work. Most people drive through without stopping. The people who do stop tend to come back.