Fifty years ago this was open sea; now a 3.5 km promenade loops past a water-spouting Merlion, a sky park on three towers and an arts centre nicknamed the Durian.
Marina Bay is reclaimed land, and the freshwater reservoir at its centre did not exist before 2008. The waterfront promenade opened in 2010 and links every major sight around the bay: Merlion Park, the Jubilee Bridge to the Esplanade, the 280-metre Helix Bridge with its double spiral of steel, and the ArtScience Museum and Marina Bay Sands on the far shore.
Allow one to two hours, and walk early or after 5 pm to avoid the midday heat. Dusk is the moment to be here: the Helix Bridge glows, and the bay stages two free shows, Garden Rhapsody at 7.45 pm and Spectra at 9 pm. As of October 2026 Anderson Bridge is closed, so cross from the Civic District by Cavenagh or Jubilee Bridge.
