I live on an island, but I rarely think about the beaches that line long stretches of the south end and west end of it.

Until this time of year, when going to the Corniche is as good a way as any to spend a day off on December 24.

What to do when you get there?

Regular beachy stuff.

Take the 15 dirham ($4) taxi ride to the west end of the island, get out of the cab near the middle of the stretch of sand and your choices then become …

1. Sitting in a cafe with a view over the water. This is what most people do. This is what we did. A place called the Nova Cafe. I had a club sandwich. And then the table and chairs are yours as long as you want. Euro-style.

2. Sit or lay on the beach. Tons of white sand were brought in and make for a nice, fine-sand beach, about 30-35 yards deep. The Gulf has almost no tides, and even if it did, the beach at this end of the big island is protected by an artificial island that runs parallel to the beach … which means any water surge is blunted. So, 99 days out of 100 the water just sits there, barely lapping the sand, and you don’t have to do a lot of plotting about where to spread your beach towel.

3. Go swimming. This is the minority of people, as everywhere. In a few hours on the terrace of the cafe, we saw perhaps a half-dozen people actually swimming in the warm, coral-colored water … and perhaps a couple of dozen who walked in, a few feet and splashed a little.

4. Walk or ride along the Corniche. Bicycles are available to rent, and if you’re going to jog in Abu Dhabi, this is the place — although the concrete must be hard on your joints. Also, little pedal-cars are available for kids to rent. Abu Dhabi is generally a kid-friendly place.

So, there we sat, in the cafe, observing the swimsuit choices made by the locals (modest) and the tourists (often immodest).

(This is a topic that comes up a lot here; what people wear on the beach. Locals often complain about what the tourists wear. Tourists often are clueless they have offended anyone.)

The view from our vantage point started (film above) with the artificial peninsula that is home to Marina Mall and a museum and some pricey housing … and then the green of Lulu Island about a mile away … and then at the right side of our field of vision were the cranes at the port, and some of the skyscrapers over by the port.

Behind us was the wide Corniche, and on the other side of the street were a row of tall buildings containing many of the most expensive properties on Abu Dhabi Island.

It can be an impressive sight.

Lunch was not particularly expensive, and we basked in a sun that was bright but not burning, with temperatures in the mid-70s, and we whiled away a holiday afternoon. It was very pleasant, and the idea that we are in the dead of winter seemed exotic.