People have been coming to Egypt for thousands of years because of the Giza pyramids. Millions go to Cairo, Luxor, and the Nile Valley every year to see ancient Egyptian temples, tombs, and ruins. Visitors are also drawn to the beautiful architecture and rich history of medieval Islamic Cairo and the legendary Greco-Roman heritage of Alexandria.
But even though the Nile Valley has plenty of history, the areas to the East along the Red Sea and the Sinai Peninsula have become very popular with tourists. This coast has become a popular beach spot for tourists who want to skip the sights of the Nile Valley in favour of the calm blue waters of the Red Sea, white sand beaches, and some of the most beautiful coral reefs in the world, full of marine life.
Even after seeing the pyramids of Giza, Islamic Cairo and the ancient ruins in Luxor and along the Nile Valle, Egypt has much to offer. To the west, the stunning beauty and peace of the desert give visitors a chance to experience the hospitality and unique culture of the Bedouins who lived there thousands of years ago. Egypt’s long coastlines along the Red Sea and the Sinai Peninsula are like a hidden pearl with absolute treasures in the East.
The Red Sea in Egypt is a hot spot for tourists:
Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Ain Sokhna are all coastal towns that have grown into exclusive resorts with beautiful beaches and warm waters almost all year round. The sea has many coral islands and thousands of fish species, making the Red Sea an excellent place for people who love diving or want to try it for the first time.
Camping trips in the Eastern Desert allow people to see this beautiful region. The Sinai Peninsula gives you access to the clear waters of the Red Sea and the historical areas within the peninsula. Sharm El Sheikh is a bustling resort town with beautiful beaches, lively nightlife, protected natural areas, beautiful coral reefs, and nearby marine life.
In Dahab and Nuweiba, which are further north, things are quieter, but you can still enjoy the beauty of the Red Sea. Both places make it easy to get into the interior of Sinai, where the Bedouins who lived in these mountains thousands of years ago will show visitors the secrets of the desert and the history of Sinai, including Mount Sinai and Saint Catherine’s Monastery.
The best places to visit along Egypt’s Red Sea
Whether you’re a solo traveller, an adventurer, or a family on vacation, the Red Sea has excellent places to stay, with lots of things to do, like diving, relaxing on the beach, spas, kite surfing, nightclubs, and fishing trips. Here is a list of some of the best places to visit on Egypt’s Red Sea coast:
Dahab:
The diving community in Dahab, a village on the east coast of Sinai known as the Red Sea Riviera, is now booming. It has many places to stay, from cheap hostels to high-end resorts with complete services. All of this is right on the water, between the purple mountains of Inner Sinai and the clear waters of the Gulf of Aqaba. In the distance, across the water, you can see the dark cliffs of Saudi Arabia.
In the middle of Dahab, many hotels and restaurants have been around long, so travellers can relax by the water while getting complete restaurant services. Further north, things are more laid-back and less built up, and a few miles outside of town in either direction, resorts along the coast offer more privacy for those who want a more private experience.
Snorkelling and diving trips can be set up from any place in Dahab. The Red Sea has some of the cleanest seawater in the world and a wide range of snorkelling and diving spots. The Red Sea diving experience is in high demand, bringing both experienced and first-time divers worldwide.
Many hotels and businesses that cater to tourists offer trips into the interior of Sinai. These trips include diving, safaris, and many others. People like to go on quad bike tours, camel rides, and day trips to St. Katherine and Mount Sinai in the middle of the peninsula.
Nuweiba is about 60 kilometres north of Dahab and is even smaller than Dahab. Most places to stay are simple huts on the beach, and a restaurant is nearby. They are the best places to relax, and they also make it easy to go on trips to the rest of Sinai.
Sharm El-Shaikh
Sharm el-Sheikh and Naama Bay, in the bay next to it, are among the best beach resorts in Egypt. Both are at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, and it wasn’t both thirty years ago, but now they’re busy beach resorts with year-round sunshine and lively nightlife.
These resort areas are on one main road between the water and the mountains. They have a variety of accommodations, cafes, restaurants, and bars where people gather every day at sunset to watch the sunset on the beach, one of the most beautiful attractions in Sharm.
Sharm also has some great diving spots; most hotels offer diving and snorkelling excursions. Tourists from Europe come here all year round, especially in the fall, winter and early spring, before the summer heat sets in.
Just a few kilometres away from Ras Mohammed National Marine Sanctuary is a marine reserve with some of the most diverse and abundant marine life that scuba divers can see.
Hurghada
Hurghada is the largest city on the Red Sea. It is located on the Red Sea, about an hour from El Gouna and two hours before Sharm El Sheikh. Hurghada Airport makes it easy for people to get to Hurghada, whether from another country or Egypt. Hurghada can also be reached by land and shuttle buses which are very popular with tourists and Egyptians who like to spend time on the beach.
Hurghada consists of three parts: Dahar, the old part of the city and contains the senior market, bazaars, the largest mosque, and the church. The second area is called Sakkala. It has many bazaars, cafes, a disco marina, Hurghada Marina, and the port of Hurghada, which has daily ferries to Sharm el-Sheikh and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The tourist road, which runs in front of the hotels and has many bazaars, cafes and nightclubs, is the city’s newest part.
El Gouna
Many ex-pats in Egypt now live in El Gouna, a beautiful resort with a strong sense of community. El Gouna is a favourite place to visit or live due to the many 5-star hotels and marina strip with some of the best restaurants in Egypt.
El Gouna is a popular place for weddings in Egypt, and it has beautiful waters where you can go boating or fishing. El Gouna is known for having a lot of marine life, and groups of experienced divers come year-round to dive in some of the best spots.
El Gouna is also home to one of the biggest music festivals in Egypt and has plenty of fun things to do at night. Kite surfers love El Gouna because the wind is always there. El Gouna is a great place for a vacation because it has so many different things to do.
How do you find the Red Sea?
The Red Sea lies between the coast of Saudi Arabia and East Africa.
How did it come to its name?
Trichodesmium erythraeum, a type of algae that lives in the Red Sea, is why the sea is named so. When this alga dies, it changes the colour of the water from blue-green to reddish-brown.
