The Fascinating Red Sea in Egypt
The
Fascinating Red Sea in Egypt
- The Booming
Tourism at the Red Sea in Egypt
- Where is Red Sea located?
- Why is it called the Red Sea?
- The Best Destinations in the Red
Sea of Egypt
- Dahab
- Sharm El
Sheikh
- Hurghada
- El Gouna
The Giza Pyramids have inspired travelers to come to Egypt for
thousands of years. Each year millions of people visit Cairo, Luxor, and the
Nile Valley to visit the Ancient Egyptian temples, tombs, and monuments.
Visitors are also drawn to the stunning architecture and rich history of
medieval Islamic Cairo and the legendary Greco-Roman legacy of Alexandria.
However, despite all of its history along the Nile Valley, the areas to the
east along the Red Sea and in the Sinai Peninsula have become a booming
destination in their own right. This coastline has grown into a popular beach
destination for tourists passing up the wonders of the Nile Valley for the calm
blue waters of the Red Sea, white sandy beaches, and some of the most
spectacular coral reefs teeming with sea-life.
After visiting the Giza Pyramids and Islamic Cairo and traveling
south to take in the ancient monuments at Luxor and along the Nile Valley,
there is still much to do in Egypt. In the west, the striking beauty and
unparallel calm of the Sahara Desert offer the opportunity to experience the
rich hospitality and unique culture of the Bedouin, who have called it home for
millennia, but east Egypt’s long coastlines along the Red Sea and the Sinai
Peninsula are some sorts of the pearl of Egypt, not as in the spotlight but
with undeniable treasures.
The Booming Tourism
at the Red Sea in Egypt
Coastal towns like Hurghada, Marsa Alam, and Ain Sokhna have
grown into thriving exclusive resorts that offer beautiful beaches and nearly
year-round warm water temperatures. Off the coast, several coral islands and
thousands of species of fish make it perfect for those who are lovers of scuba
diving or those who like to try diving in the red sea.
Eastern Desert visitors can now also enjoy this imposing
landscape on camping trips and quad bike tours. The Sinai Peninsula also offers
access to the crystal waters of the Red Sea as well as the historic expanses of
the peninsula's interior. Sharm El Sheikh is a thriving resort town with
beautiful beaches, thriving nightlife, and protected natural areas nearby that
offer beautiful coral and marine life.
Further north in Dahab and Nuweiba the atmosphere is more relaxed,
but the beauty of the Red Sea is just as accessible. From both places, it is
easy to access the interior of Sinai, where the Bedouin who have controlled
these mountains for thousands of years show visitors the secrets of the desert
as well as Sinai’s history including Mount Sinai and the Monastery of St.
Katherine.
Where is Red Sea
located?
The Red Sea is located between the Saudi Arabian Peninsula
and the East African coast.
Why is it called
the Red Sea?
The beautiful Red Sea was named according to common certain
common algae found in the Red Sea called Trichodesmium Erythraeum, these algae
when dead turn the sea from a blue-green color to a reddish-brown color
instead.
The Best
Destinations in the Red Sea of Egypt
Depending on if you are a solo traveler, an adventure seeker or
going on a family vacation, the Red Sea has wonderful destinations packed with
activities such as diving, beach relaxation, spas, kite surfing, nightclubbing
and fishing trips, here is a selection of some of the best destinations in the
Red Sea on the Egyptian coast:
Dahab
A coastal village in the middle of the eastern shore of Sinai
known as the Red Sea Riviera, Dahab is now booming as a diving community. It
offers a range of accommodations from hostels for budget travelers to luxurious
full-service resorts. All of this is located right on the water, tucked between
the purple mountains of Sinai’s interior and the crystal waters of the Gulf of
Aqaba with the shadowy mountains of Saudi Arabia visible across the water in
the distance.
The central part of Dahab offers a well-established strip of
restaurants and hotels the allow travelers to lounge by the water while
enjoying full restaurant service. Further north the vibe is more relaxed and
less developed and a few miles out of town in either direction, you will find
resorts along the coast that offer more privacy for those seeking a more
exclusive experience.
Snorkeling and diving trips can be organized from any of the
locations in Dahab, with a wide range of snorkeling and diving sites with one
of the cleanest sea-water in the world, the red sea diving experience is in
high demand and attract experience and first-time divers from all over the
world.
Many of the hotels or tourism shops offer diving trips, safari
trips, and many other trips into Sinai’s interior. Quad bike excursions, camel
rides, and day trips to St. Katherine and Mount Sinai deep in the middle of the
peninsula are all popular.
About 60 kilometers north of Dahab is the town of Nuweiba, which
is even more low-key. Most of the accommodations there consist of simple huts
on the beach with a restaurant nearby. They provide the ultimate in relaxation
and also the easiest access to excursions to Sinai’s interior.
Sharm El Sheikh
Located at the southern point of the Sinai Peninsula, Sharm El
Sheik and Naama Bay in the neighboring bay are the premier beach spots in
Egypt. They both have developed from nothing from thirty years ago into booming
beachfront resorts that offer year-round sun and a lively nightlife
Organized on a single main road between the water and the
mountains, these resort areas offer countless accommodation options, cafes,
restaurants, and bars where people gather every day at sunset time to watch one
of Sharm’s most spectacular attractions, the beach sunset.
Sharm also offers some incredible diving locations and most
hotels organize diving and snorkeling trips. European tourists flock here
year-round, especially in the fall, winter, and early spring before the summer
heat gets too intense.
Just a few miles away from Ras Mohammed National Marine Park,
you will find a marine reserve that offers some of the most diverse and
plentiful sea-life available to divers.
Hurghada
Located at the Red Sea, around 1 hour after El Gouna and 2 hours
before Sharm, Hurghada city is the biggest city on the red sea. Hurghada
Airport makes it easy to travel to Hurghada for people traveling from overseas
or from Egypt itself. Reaching Hurghada by road and shuttle buses is also
possible and quite popular among tourists and Egyptians seeking the beach
environment that Hurghada offers.
Hurghada is divided into three partitions, El Dahar, the old
area in Hurghada and which has the old market and Bazaars, the biggest Masjid
and the church. The second area is called El Sakala and this one consists of
many Bazaars, Cafes, discus, Hurghada Marina, and Hurghada port, which offers
ferry boats to Sharm El Sheikh and Saudi Arabia daily. The newest area is the
Touristic Road that takes place in front of the hotels, which offers many
Bazaars, cafes, and discus along the road.
El Gouna
A beautiful resort town with a big heart community, El Gouna
became home to many expats living in Egypt. With its numerous 5-stars hotels
and a marina strip with some of the best restaurants in Egypt, El Gouna is a
favorite to many who visit or choose to live there.
A famous wedding destination in Egypt, El Gouna offers
paradisiac water with boat rides and fishing trips. Famous for its vast sea
life, El Gouna offers some of the best sites for experienced divers who flock
in groups all year round.
El Gouna is also home for one of the biggest music festivals in
Egypt and offers numerous options for a fun night out. The perfect wind
conditions make El Gouna a favorite among kite surfers. With all of its diversity,
El Gouna offers the perfect holiday for any type of traveler.
After visiting the
Egypt’s most iconic and historical sites, dive into a relaxing experience at
the Red Sea with its dizzying array of marine life through a trip to Egypt.