Traveling to Egypt is a popular location for the adventurist looking for an archeological journey into the cradle of civilization. But what many are finding is that Egypt has so much more to offer then it’s historical sightseeing. Egypt’s Red Sea is an inlet that lies between Asia and Africa offering relaxing beach coastline and water activities while also offering the Arabic desert experience one comes to expect from visiting Egypt.
The Red Sea Riviera is a popular beach destination within Israel that many Europeans flock to during the winter for some warm beach vacations. But lesser known Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula became a popular diving destination starting back in the 1950’s with expeditions by the likes of known divers like Jacques Cousteau. Fast forward 70 years, the area now draws visitors to the many resort areas along the Red Sea coastline while also offering options for water sport activities in addition to soaking up the sun with a beach vacation.
If you want to know more about the beach regions of Egypt we invite you to read on:
Sharm el-Sheikh
One of the most well known beach destinations in Egypt, a beach town with Naama Bay on the Sinai Peninsula. One of the original diving spots within Egypt for the many coral reefs and Ras Mohammed National Park which offers world-class diving. Located within the Gulf of Aqaba, Sharm el-Sheikh offers turquoise blue ocean views of the Saudi Arabian mountains and coastline in the distance across the gulf.
If diving is not your jam, Ras Um Sid reef also offers snorkelers the opportunity to explore the corals and spot rainbow colored reef fish at the surface. The draw to the area is definitely the resort area of Sharm el-Sheikh with its sandy beaches and modern luxury resorts with many options for restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Formerly occupied by Israel from 1967 to 1982 who built up the area, the venture was successfully continued by Egypt once they resumed control of the region.
Regardless of your interest in visiting, the Sharm el-Sheikh area is filled with sun, beach and water activities and you won’t want to miss the sunsets over the gulf.
El Gouna
North of the town of Hurghada built along the shore and on small islands is the beach resort area of El Gouna. Built as a family-friendly vacation spot on Egypt’s eastern coast with many options for large and luxury resort accommodations offering many amenities and spas.
The draw to this area is the resort town and the marina with high-end shops, restaurants, bars and the multitude of additional activities that are available for the active traveler. A popular area for watersports, kayaking, paddleboarding and waterskiing. You can also find many other fun activities like paragliding, horseback riding, golfing and ATVing for a break from the beach.
El Gouna is filled with canals and lagoons offering beautiful seascape sites. The most popular activity in the area is kiteboarding which can be seen off the long and wide Mangroovy Beach area and is just as popular for watching as it is for participating. Zeytouna Beach offers white sand beaches and a jetty with coral reefs and great snorkeling opportunities.
Many Egyptians have been flocking to the area for years for luxury vacations. So whether looking for luxurious amenities to relax and unwind or an activity filled vacation, El Gouna can offer a little bit of everything.
Soma Bay
An hour south of the main coastal town of Hurghada, where you will find an international airport, is the beach town of Soma Bay. Surrounded by water on 3 sides and the largest spa facilities in Egypt, makes this a playground for beach goers and resort vacationers.
Egypt’s very exclusive beaches can be found along the strip of white sands of Soma Bay with all-inclusive luxury resorts and 365 days of sunshine. Formerly a Egyptian military location. The peninsula is popular with wealthy Europeans who escape the cool winters for luxurious beach vacations.
As a newer beach area, the entire town consists of resorts surrounded by the ocean and being all inclusive there are many activities available within the resorts with water sports, golfing, entertainment and beach activities.
However for divers or snorkelers, the reefs nearby offer some of the best opportunities for enthusiasts. As a new and upcoming area, Soma Bay is constantly being developed and more opportunities for modern amenity resorts continue to pop up.
Just 3.5 hours from the city of Luxor makes Soma Bay an easy reach for travelers exploring the popular sites of the Egyptian ancient civilizations for post travel relaxation or side trips from a beach vacation.
Marsa Alam
A lesser known vacation destination area located in the most southern part of Egypt’s Red Sea coastline has been a well known diving spot for years. Filled with coral reefs and beautiful beaches, as the Red Sea coastline has increased in popularity, Marsa Alam has become the newest strip of hotels to the beach coast of Egypt.
Offering an international airport makes it easy to reach and filled with all-inclusive and five star resorts makes the area exclusive for visitors featuring private beaches, resort pools, family oriented activities and spas.
Abu Dabab beach offers beautiful reefs filled with colorful corals and more unique sealife. Turtles, crocodile fish and octopus with beautiful white sand beaches attract vacationers looking for diving, snorkeling and beach vacations rolled into one.
Some of the nearby popular diving areas that attract divers are Elphinstone filled with underwater fauna & sealife, Dolphin House, Shaab Samadai for the large amount of dolphin in the area and Fury Shoals which provides coral gardens, dolphin and various wrecks to explore.
For land experiences, the Emerald Mines of the Roman and Ptolemaic period of rule are nearby as is the Temple of Seti built by Seti, the son of Ramses I and father of Ramses II. The biggest highlight of the area is taking an Egyptian Safari, guided tours by quad or camel to some of the highlights of the interior desert region.
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Visiting Egypt for the top explorations of the region is a must, but adding extra time at the beaches creates a relaxing add on to an unforgettable bucket list vacation.
The highlights of Egypt can be seen on a 10 night river cruise itinerary from Cairo through Luxor and back. Find out more about a Nile river cruising experience.
The Expert BucketLister 