Qanat Quartier
A Venetian-style quarter of canals, bridges and coloured façades.
Steven Byles — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Alex Sergeev — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons contributor — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Steven Byles — CC BY-SA 2.0
A reclaimed island of four square kilometres north of Doha, built over what was once among Qatar's best-known pearl diving beds — which is where the name comes from. It is first and foremost an upmarket residential and commercial district, and a visit means walking, eating and looking rather than seeing a monument. Anyone arriving in search of something to stand in front of will not find it, and that should be clear in advance. Its best-known parts are Porto Arabia, with a marina full of yachts ringed by towers, and Qanat Quartier, built in a Venetian manner with waterways, bridges, coloured façades and a central square. The imitation is open and deliberate; anyone measuring it against the real Venice will find it necessarily artificial, and anyone taking it for what it is — a waterfront designed for walking and sitting — will find it pleasant and good-looking, particularly in the evening. There are many restaurants and cafés on the water, all expensive, and the shops are mostly international brands. Walking the marina promenade is the best thing to do here; it is free, always open, and at its best after sunset and in the winter months. Katara adjoins it minutes away, and the two combine into one evening. Nothing here justifies a full day — an hour and a half to three hours is realistic.
A Venetian-style quarter of canals, bridges and coloured façades.
The yacht marina and its towers, with the island's best promenade.
Minutes away, and the two combine into a single evening.
North of West Bay, Doha
As part of an evening, yes; as a destination on its own, no. The sensible plan is to pair it with Katara next door: Katara in the late afternoon, then dinner and a walk on The Pearl after dark. Anyone with two days in Doha should give priority to the Museum of Islamic Art, the National Museum and Souq Waqif first.
After sunset in the winter months, November to March. The whole place is outdoors and walking is the only activity, and summer makes it unbearable until very late at night.
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