Fiesta at the end of the night or absolute calm?
Holidays with friends or in a noisy tribe?
Small budget or looking for luxury and voluptuousness?
Sports or spa?
Egypt unrolls its 900 km of reef coastline along the Red Sea and 200 km along the Gulf of Aqaba.
How to choose the seaside destination that suits you?
Our suggestions to guide you.
To discover
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Upper Egypt and temples of Nubia
Read alsoEgypt, Jordan: the cruise leaves for the Red Sea
Dahab, the original city (southeast Sinai)
Dahab has an unparalleled charm.
This former Bedouin village has become famous in the diving world because of its famous Trou Bleu (“Blue Hole”), an underwater excavation 25 meters wide, 120 meters deep.
There is nothing to see, just the intoxicating sensation of descending into a deep blue and discovering an arch around 55 meters with a tunnel opening onto the sea. The Bedouins have always avoided the site, because according to legend , the Blue Hole is haunted by the ghost of a young girl who drowned there to escape an arranged marriage.
For who ?
Alone or as a couple.
Diving?
For freedivers, experienced divers, thrill seekers even if Egyptian regulations theoretically prohibit going beyond 40 meters.
But still ?
With 250 days of wind per year, it is the ideal spot for sailing and kitesurfing enthusiasts.
Crazy Nights in Sharm El Sheikh (Point Sinai)
Al-Sahaba Mosque at night.
Adobe Stock / Repina Valeriya
Accessible by direct flight from Paris, this seaside town located near the airport offers the interest of “door-to-door”.
For miles, there are all-inclusive hotels facing the Red Sea, with their share of swimming pools, nightclubs, bars and kindergartens.
For who ?
Alone, to meet people.
With friends to party.
As a family for hotel complexes that take care of children from morning to night.
Diving?
Ras Mohammed National Park and its drop-offs are among the most beautiful spots in Egypt.
Many wrecks in the Strait of Tiran or at the entrance to the Suez Canal.
Read alsoWhen to go to Egypt?
Weather, crowds… The best time per region
El Gouna, refined calm
From El Gouna, you can access the reef of Abu Nuhas, with its four wrecks.
Jean-Louis Danan / Le Figaro
North of Hurghada, the Egyptian Venice unfolds its canals, its lagoons and its luxurious marina in a village created
ex nihilo
by a billionaire.
The hotel offer is perfectly structured, with also an offer of huge villas and apartments.
All water sports are possible there, but also parasailing or even golf.
Possible encounter with bottlenose dolphins (
Tursiops truncatus
).
For who ?
With friends, by renting a villa with cook and house staff.
As a family, to celebrate New Year's Eve in the sun.
Diving?
Access to the Abu Nuhas reef, with its four wrecks, including the sumptuous Carnatic and its structures filled with glass fish and soft coral.
See also, the cargo of tiles in the bowels of Chrisoula K.
But still ?
At the UCPA center, kite and diving, courses for beginners and advanced.
Hurghada, ease of access
Hurghada is the first coastal city in Egypt to attract tourists.
Martine Carret / Le Figaro
The first coastal town to have exerted its attraction on tourists stretches over forty kilometers.
It's a living city, not just a tourist area.
There are many bars and nightclubs there.
To see absolutely: the old typical district of Dahar.
Near the Al Mina mosque which can be visited (women and men), stroll through the fish market then go for a drink at the Marina just next door.
For who ?
For tight budgets.
For families who want reduced transport times (4h30) from France.
Diving?
The seabed has been damaged by intensive exploitation for 50 years.
Nevertheless, the area is ideal for beginners or to pass diplomas.
Our good address:
French school Alysés diving, run by the friendly Sylvie Turpin.
Read alsoFrom Cairo to Aswan, the great trip to Egypt
Safaga, the
meeting
place for
repeaters
Safaga Bay offers dive sites accessible to beginners.
Sailing and kite surfing are also part of it.
Adobe Stock / grib_nick
45 minutes south of Hurghada, the port city of Safaga is typically Egyptian and relatively untouristy.
This is what attracts divers who come back tirelessly, forming groups of friends over the years.
It is not uncommon to see the same divers come two to three times a year.
The bay offers dive sites accessible to beginners.
Offshore, the coral reefs of Panorama Reef, Abu Kefan and Middle Reef are renowned for their beauty.
To the north, the chic hotel complex of Soma Bay attracts spa, massage and hammam enthusiasts, as well as golfers.
We cannot advise you enough to take a car with a driver and spend the day on the banks of the Nile by visiting the temple of Denderah.
For who ?
For beginners or experienced divers, for children and seniors.
For groups of friends, regardless of age.
Our good address:
Dune, ideal for welcoming groups, good humor ensured by the jovial Nathanael and the friendly Bruno.
3 Turtles, for the family atmosphere created by Tamtam and Adham.
Blue dimensions, for Nathalie's discretion and professionalism.
But still ?
The wind blows very often and very strongly in the Red Sea.
Sailing and kitesurfing are intensely practiced in Safaga Bay.
Marsa Alam, between desert and reef
Marsa Shagra Village Martine Carret / Le Figaro
The peculiarity of the Egyptian coral reef is to be fringing, that is to say that the reef literally sticks to the coast.
So don't dream of white sand beaches: there are none.
The environmental code now prevents breaking the reef to build hotels and make artificial beaches.
If you see long wooden pontoons above the water, know that they simply allow swimming access with a ladder.
However, in this region, there are rare marsa (bay in Arabic).
The first hotels obviously settled there because the reef is sumptuous and accessible from the beach.
Some (Abu Dabbab, Mubarak, El Nabaa, Shouna) are lined with seagrass, the favorite food of green sea turtles that even the youngest can go and see in PMT (fins-mask-snorkel).
Do not touch them, you risk destroying the mucus that protects them from parasites.
Don't miss the camel rides in the desert, the visit to the Abada Bedouins who bake divine bread in the sand, the astronomy outings.
Remember to bring children's games, clothes and shoes for the Abada.
For who ?
For lovers of nature and calm.
For families who love authenticity.
Diving?
Far offshore, Elphinstone Reef is accessible to seasoned divers.
Opportunity to see hammerhead sharks, longimanus, tiger shark.
But still ?
A hotel offer exists with comfortable hotels, swimming pools and water games which some people love.
Our favorite ?
Marsa Shagra Village and its pristine white canvas tents soaking in the morning sun.
Read alsoAncient Egypt in the temples, our guide to Luxor
Wadi Lahami, the paradise of zenitude
Don't miss the excursion to the Sataya lagoon, where a pod of spinner dolphins reside.
Philippe Carret / Press Photo
The road to southern Egypt stretches slowly, monotonously, between the blue of the sea and the ocher of the desert mountains that the setting sun tints pink.
Why go so far?
To be at peace, savor the authentic desert, with few accommodations, no garish lights and no discotheques.
Wadi Gamel National Park offers interesting naturalistic excursions, with an impressive variety of birds.
For who ?
For couples and lovers.
For those looking for rest.
Diving?
The reefs of the Fury Shoals are accessible by semi-rigid, with superb spots like Sha'ab Claudio and its maze of caves.
Not to be missed is the excursion to the Sataya lagoon, where a pod of spinner dolphins (
Stenella longirostris
) reside with which it is possible to swim.
Don't run after them, they are too fast.
Do not move, they are curious and will come to see what is happening.
Don't touch them.
But still ?
Head south to Shalateen (135 km).
At the gates of Sudan, the camel market of this desert city is impressive.
