# Red Sea

- Page: https://www.sunnyegypttravels.com/en/guide/red-sea
- Destination: Red Sea
- Last updated: 2026-10-03

Egypt's entire eastern coastline in one guide — 1,200+ km of coral reef, wreck dives and open water spanning Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab and Marsa Alam, for travellers planning around the sea itself rather than any single town.

## About

This guide is a little different from the others in this collection — it's not built around a single town, but around the Red Sea itself: the 1,200+ km stretch of Egyptian coastline that runs from Sharm El Sheikh and Dahab in the Sinai down through Hurghada and Marsa Alam on the mainland. Each of those towns has its own dedicated guide with hotel, restaurant and neighborhood-level detail — this one exists for travellers planning primarily around the water: which reefs, which wrecks, which liveaboard route, and which base makes sense for the specific diving or water sports trip they have in mind.

What unites the whole coast is genuinely world-class reef diving, largely undamaged by the mass bleaching events that have hit other reef systems worldwide, plus a scattering of WWII-era wrecks, dolphin and reef shark encounters, and steady wind that makes it one of the best kitesurfing and windsurfing coastlines anywhere. Whether you're based in one town for a week or hopping between several on a liveaboard, this guide covers what's shared across the whole Red Sea experience.
Did you know? The Red Sea's reefs sit in one of the world's warmest and most saline seas, which — combined with strong water circulation — has made them unusually resilient to the coral bleaching events that have devastated reef systems elsewhere, keeping much of the ecosystem in remarkably healthy condition.

## Quick facts

- **Coastline Length**: 1,200+ km
- **Main Gateway Airports**: 3
- **Documented Fish Species**: 1,200+
- **Sunny Days a Year**: 330+

## Top attractions

- **🚢 SS Thistlegorm Wreck**: A WWII British supply ship sunk in 1941, still loaded with motorcycles, trucks, rifles and railway cars — widely considered one of the best wreck dives in the world, reachable from Sharm or Hurghada.
- **🦈 The Brothers Islands (El Akhawein)**: Two remote islands reachable only by liveaboard, with sheer walls, strong currents and regular hammerhead, oceanic whitetip and thresher shark sightings — a bucket-list site for experienced divers.
- **🕳️ The Blue Hole, Dahab**: A near-vertical submarine sinkhole reachable straight from shore, one of the most famous dive sites on Earth — see Dahab's own guide for the full picture.
- **🐟 Ras Mohammed National Park**: One of Egypt's oldest and most protected marine parks, at the southern tip of Sinai, with dramatic drop-off walls and an exceptional density of reef fish.
- **🐬 Sataya Reef & Abu Dabbab**: Near Marsa Alam, Sataya hosts a resident pod of spinner dolphins and Abu Dabbab is one of the most reliable places on Earth to snorkel with wild dugongs and turtles.
- **🏔️ Elphinstone Reef**: A narrow, isolated reef plateau off Marsa Alam with dramatic walls and regular oceanic whitetip shark sightings — routinely ranked among Egypt's very best dive sites.

## Where to stay

- **🏖️ Hurghada & El Gouna**: Best for the widest choice of resorts and easy access to Giftun Island's reefs. Egypt's largest, most developed Red Sea resort hub, with the most flight options and dive centers on the mainland coast.
- **🏝️ Sharm El Sheikh & Ras Mohammed**: Best for polished all-inclusive resorts and some of Egypt's most protected reef, at Ras Mohammed National Park and the Tiran Strait. Sinai's flagship resort town.
- **🤿 Dahab**: Best for shore diving, freediving and a laid-back, backpacker-friendly base. Home to the legendary Blue Hole, on the Sinai coast north of Sharm.
- **🐬 Marsa Alam & Port Ghalib**: Best for wild dugong and dolphin encounters and the least-developed stretch of coast. Egypt's most remote mainland resort area, further south toward the Sudanese border.

## How to get there

- **Pick the airport that matches your base**: Hurghada International (HRG) for Hurghada, El Gouna or Safaga. Sharm El Sheikh International (SSH) for Sharm or Dahab. Marsa Alam International (RMF) for Marsa Alam or Port Ghalib — all three take direct European charters in season.
- **Moving between coastal towns**: The coastal road connects all mainland towns (Hurghada-Safaga-Marsa Alam), while Sinai towns (Sharm-Dahab-Nuweiba) are linked by their own coastal road — the two coasts aren't directly connected by road around the Gulf of Suez, so plan a flight or the seasonal ferry if you want to combine both sides.
- **Liveaboard boats**: Multi-day liveaboard dive boats typically depart from Hurghada, Port Ghalib or Sharm El Sheikh marinas and cover routes further offshore than any land-based base can reach — the standard way to dive remote sites like the Brothers Islands or Elphinstone.

## Suggested itineraries

### Single-Base Diving Week
Day 1 — Arrival, check-in, easy shore dive to get settled.\nDays 2-5 — Daily boat dives to local reefs and wrecks from your chosen base (Hurghada, Sharm, Dahab or Marsa Alam).\nDay 6 — A signature site for your area (Thistlegorm from Sharm/Hurghada, the Blue Hole from Dahab, Elphinstone from Marsa Alam).\nDay 7 — Rest day or non-diving activity, departure.

### 7-Day Liveaboard Route
Day 1 — Board in Hurghada or Port Ghalib, check-out dive.\nDays 2-3 — The Brothers Islands (Big and Small Brother), wall and wreck diving.\nDay 4 — Daedalus Reef, open-water pelagic diving.\nDays 5-6 — Elphinstone Reef and southern sites near Marsa Alam.\nDay 7 — Return to port, disembark.

### Non-Diver's Red Sea Week
Day 1-2 — Base in Hurghada or El Gouna, snorkeling day trip to Giftun Island.\nDay 3 — Kitesurfing or windsurfing lesson.\nDay 4 — Deep-sea fishing charter or sunset sailing cruise.\nDay 5-6 — Relocate to Dahab or Marsa Alam for a different coastal feel, dolphin/turtle snorkeling.\nDay 7 — Relax, departure.

## Best time to visit

The Red Sea coast is diveable and sunny nearly year-round, but the sweet spot for most activities is April-June and September-November — warm water, good visibility, without summer's most intense heat.
- **Best for Diving Visibility**: April-June & September-November
- **Best for Kitesurfing/Windsurfing**: June-September — steadiest wind
- **Best for Liveaboard Trips**: April-June & September-November — calmest open-water conditions
- **Best Value Period**: July-August — lowest resort and liveaboard rates coast-wide

## Weather by season

- **Winter (Dec-Feb, 20-24°C)**: Mild and sunny across the coast, with sea temperatures dropping to the low-to-mid 20s°C — a thicker wetsuit (5-7mm) makes diving noticeably more comfortable.\n### Top Winter Activities\n- Wreck diving at the Thistlegorm with excellent visibility\n- Liveaboard trips to the Brothers Islands\n- Desert safaris and non-water activities from any base\n### Winter Travel Tips\n- Pack a proper wetsuit — 3mm alone will feel cold\n- This is peak season for European visitors — book well ahead\n- Evenings can be genuinely cool, pack a light jacket
- **Spring (Mar-May, 24-32°C)**: Warming quickly, with sea temperatures climbing toward the mid-to-high 20s°C and generally excellent diving visibility.\n### Top Spring Activities\n- Elphinstone and Marsa Alam's southern reefs\n- Ras Mohammed National Park\n- Early-season kitesurfing as wind picks up\n### Spring Travel Tips\n- One of the best all-round windows for the whole coast\n- Book liveaboards early — this is a high-demand season\n- Check Ramadan dates in advance
- **Summer (Jun-Aug, 33-40°C)**: Very hot on land, but sea temperatures peak at a comfortable 28-29°C — the best window for kitesurfing and windsurfing thanks to steady wind, and the cheapest time to travel.\n### Top Summer Activities\n- Kitesurfing and windsurfing (steadiest wind of the year)\n- Early-morning or evening boat dives\n- Liveaboard trips, with cooler evenings on open water\n### Summer Travel Tips\n- Schedule land-based activity before 10am or after 4pm\n- Drink 3-4 liters of water daily\n- Use SPF 50+ and a rash guard for extended boat time\n- Expect the best prices of the year
- **Fall (Sep-Nov, 26-34°C)**: A second sweet spot — warm days, comfortable sea temperatures, and consistently excellent diving visibility through October and November.\n### Top Fall Activities\n- Liveaboard trips to the Brothers Islands and Daedalus Reef\n- Sataya dolphin snorkeling near Marsa Alam\n- Wreck diving\n### Fall Travel Tips\n- Book accommodation and liveaboards early — high-demand season\n- Some of the best visibility of the year for underwater photography\n- Pack light layers for cooler evenings by November

## Costs and daily budget

How far your euros, dollars and pounds go along the Red Sea coast — realistic numbers for 2026.
- **Currency & payments**: The local currency is the Egyptian pound (EGP). Larger resorts and dive centers accept cards; smaller operators, boat crews and local restaurants often prefer cash — carry EGP wherever you're based.
- **Diving cost guidelines**: A single boat dive with gear typically runs €35-55 depending on the site and town; a full liveaboard week runs €700-1,600+ depending on the boat, route and season. Wreck sites like the Thistlegorm and remote reefs like the Brothers usually carry a premium over standard local dives.
- **Daily budget outside of diving**: Budget: €30-50/day. Mid-range: €60-100/day. Luxury: €150+/day — costs vary meaningfully by town, with Hurghada and Marsa Alam generally cheaper than Sharm El Sheikh for comparable quality.

## Travel tips

### 📌 Good to Know
- **Pick a base, then decide day trips vs. liveaboard**: Land-based diving from any of the main towns covers excellent local reefs; a liveaboard is worth it specifically for remote sites like the Brothers Islands or Daedalus Reef that day boats can't reach.
- **Bring or verify your dive certification**: Most sites require at least Open Water certification, with several (the Brothers, Elphinstone's deeper sections) requiring Advanced Open Water or equivalent — check requirements before booking.

### 🕌 Culture & Practical
- **Dress modestly away from the beach**: Beachwear is fine at resorts and dive centers, but cover shoulders and knees when walking through a town center or visiting a mosque.
- **Reef-safe sunscreen everywhere**: Most dive operators and protected areas across the coast now require or strongly encourage mineral (reef-safe) sunscreen — pack it before you arrive rather than hoping to find it locally.

### 🎒 What to Pack
- **Your own mask and fins if you dive often**: Rental gear is widely available, but frequent divers often prefer bringing their own mask and fins for fit and comfort across multiple dive centers.
- **A wetsuit appropriate for the season**: A 3mm wetsuit covers most of the year; a 5mm or 7mm is worth it for winter diving (December-February) when water temperatures drop into the low 20s°C.
- **Proof of certification**: Bring your physical or digital dive certification card — operators across the coast will ask for it before letting you on more advanced sites.

### 🏥 Health & Safety
- **Hyperbaric chambers are limited**: Recompression chambers exist in Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh but not every town — confirm your dive insurance covers evacuation to the nearest chamber if you're diving from a more remote base.
- **Never dive beyond your certification**: Several of the coast's headline sites (the Blue Hole's deeper reaches, the Brothers Islands) have serious currents and depths — always dive within your training level with a licensed guide.
- **Sun and heat**: Boat decks offer little shade for hours at a time — reapply sunscreen regularly and stay hydrated between dives, even on cooler days.

### 🍽️ Food & Dining
- **Resort dining varies by town**: Hurghada and Sharm have the widest independent restaurant scenes; Marsa Alam and smaller Sinai towns lean more heavily on resort dining — factor this in when picking a base if eating out matters to you.
- **Fresh seafood everywhere**: Grilled fish and seafood are a highlight up and down the coast, generally priced by weight and freshest at restaurants near a working harbor.

### ✈️ Travel Logistics
- **Visas**: Most nationalities can get a visa on arrival (around $25) or an e-visa in advance — a Sinai-only free entry stamp is available at some land borders and Sharm's port, but not for most airport arrivals.
- **Emergency numbers**: Police 122, Ambulance 123, Tourist Police 126 — see the full Emergency section below for chambers and hospitals across the coast.
- **Book liveaboards well ahead**: Popular liveaboard routes, especially to the Brothers Islands, book out months ahead in peak season (April-June, September-November) — don't leave this until the last minute.

## Shopping

- **🤿 Dive gear & accessories**: Dive shops across the coast sell everything from masks and fins to full wetsuits, often at better prices than back home, €20-200+.\n### Buying Tips\n- Try gear on in person rather than guessing sizes\n- Reputable dive centers sell known brands, not just unbranded gear\n- Compare prices between towns — Hurghada tends to have the widest selection
- **📷 Underwater photography prints & memory cards**: Many dive centers offer to shoot and print your dives, or sell memory cards and basic underwater camera housings if you didn't bring your own, €10-80.\n### Buying Tips\n- Ask about digital delivery in addition to prints\n- Bring a spare memory card — reliable brands can be pricier locally\n- Check housing compatibility with your specific camera before buying
- **🐚 Coral-safe shell & marine-themed souvenirs**: Marine-themed jewelry, art and crafts (never real coral, which is protected) are widely sold in resort towns, €5-40.\n### Buying Tips\n- Never buy real coral or shells taken from protected reefs — it's illegal to export and damages the ecosystem\n- Look for locally made art rather than mass-imported souvenirs\n- Ask vendors directly whether coral-look pieces are resin or synthetic
- **🧣 Bedouin & Nubian handicrafts**: Silver jewelry, woven textiles and beadwork reflecting the coast's Bedouin communities are sold across most towns, €10-60.\n### Buying Tips\n- Check for a silver quality stamp (925) on jewelry\n- Bargaining is normal and expected outside fixed-price resort shops\n- Prices vary noticeably between towns — compare if you're visiting more than one

## Safety tips

- Keep a physical photocopy of your passport separate from the original
- Make sure your dive insurance covers hyperbaric treatment and evacuation
- Never dive beyond your certification level, wherever you are on the coast
- Save the nearest hyperbaric chamber's number before any dive trip
- Use reef-safe sunscreen and never touch or stand on coral
- Book liveaboards and remote-site trips only through licensed, reputable operators
- Bring extra cash — smaller towns and boat crews are often cash-only
- Learn a few basic emergency phrases in Arabic (see the phrases below)

## Emergency numbers

Tourist Police: 126. Ambulance: 123. Hyperbaric recompression chambers operate in Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh — if you're diving from a more remote base (Marsa Alam, Dahab), confirm your insurance covers transfer to the nearest chamber before you dive.
- **Tourist Police**: 126
- **Ambulance**: 123
- **Police**: 122
- **Fire**: 180
- **General Emergency**: 112

## Frequently asked questions

**🗺️ Which Red Sea town should I actually base myself in?**
Hurghada for the widest resort choice and easy flights; Sharm El Sheikh for polished all-inclusive resorts and Ras Mohammed; Dahab for shore diving, freediving and a laid-back backpacker vibe; Marsa Alam for the most remote, wildlife-rich stretch of coast. Each town has its own full guide with more detail.

**🤿 Do I need to be certified to dive in the Red Sea?**
For shallower reef sites, no — many operators offer beginner and taster dives with an instructor. For wrecks like the Thistlegorm and open-water sites like the Brothers Islands, most operators require at least Open Water certification, and Advanced for the deeper or more current-prone sites.

**🛥️ Is a liveaboard worth it over land-based diving?**
If your priority is remote, open-water sites like the Brothers Islands or Daedalus Reef, yes — day boats simply can't reach them. If you're happy with excellent local reefs and wrecks near your base town, land-based diving is cheaper and more flexible.

**🛂 Do I need a visa to visit the Red Sea coast?**
Most nationalities can get a visa on arrival at any of the coast's airports (around $25) or apply for an e-visa online in advance. A free Sinai-only entry stamp is available at some land borders and Sharm's port for stays under 15 days, but check whether it applies to your specific arrival point.

**🚢 What makes the Thistlegorm so famous?**
It's a British WWII cargo ship sunk by German bombers in 1941 while carrying supplies for the North African campaign, and it's still loaded with its original cargo — motorcycles, trucks, rifles and railway locomotives — making it one of the most complete and photogenic wreck dives anywhere.

**☀️ When is the best time to visit the Red Sea coast?**
April-June and September-November hit the sweet spot for diving visibility and comfortable temperatures. Summer (June-August) has the steadiest wind for kitesurfing and the lowest prices, while winter (December-February) is mild but needs a thicker wetsuit.

**🐬 Where's the best place to see dolphins or dugongs in the wild?**
Sataya Reef near Marsa Alam hosts a large resident pod of spinner dolphins, and nearby Abu Dabbab is one of the most reliable places on Earth to snorkel with wild dugongs and turtles right from the shore.

**🪁 Which town is best for kitesurfing?**
Hurghada, El Gouna and Dahab all have strong reputations for reliable wind and dedicated kite schools, especially from June to September when conditions are steadiest.

**🌊 Is the whole Red Sea coast connected by road?**
Not directly — the mainland coast (Hurghada to Marsa Alam) and the Sinai coast (Sharm to Dahab) aren't linked by a road that goes directly around the Gulf of Suez. To combine both, plan a flight between hub airports or check for the seasonal ferry.

**🗺️ What's a good itinerary for exploring the Red Sea coast?**
A single-base week covers daily local dives from one town plus a signature site. A 7-day liveaboard route covers the Brothers Islands, Daedalus Reef and Elphinstone in one trip. A non-diver's week mixes snorkeling, kitesurfing, fishing and two coastal bases — see the full itineraries above.