Stretching 40 km along the Red Coast, Hurghada is a beach town in Egypt, located 600 km from Cairo. It is known for its stunning coral reefs and turquoise waters. One of Egypt's main tourist attractions, Hurghada, which once used to be a fishing village, is now known for its nightlife, holiday resorts, beaches and water sports activities.
Hurghada offers numerous adventure activities like cruising along the Red Sea to Giftun islands, quad biking in the Sahara desert, or a glass-bottom boat ride with amazing corals. Also known for its watersports, Hurghada has some of the best numerous diving and snorkeling sites around Abu Ramada Island, Giftun Island, and Fanadir. Tourists also like to visit the shipwrecks at El Mina and Rosalie Moller.
Top Highlights
Giftun Islands
Giftun Islands are among the most famous Egyptian Sea Islands located in the Northern Reserves of the Red Sea. The Big Giftun Island is more popular among tourists and offers various activities such as snorkeling, fishing, sunbathing, and diving. The island has pristine white sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters, with three major beaches - Orange Beach, Paradise Beach, and Mahmya Beach - known for their excellent diving spots. Small Giftun Island is renowned for its good snorkeling spots. The islands are surrounded by rich marine life, including 196 types of coral reefs and nearly 800 species of fish. It is also home to seagulls, dolphins, rare birds, turtles, and other marine organisms.
Hurghada Corniche
The corniche in Hurghada is a tourist hub as it has plenty to provide, from beaming beaches, restaurants along the coast and a pier by the sea. The Abdulmoneim Riadh Mosque and Saint Shenouda Coptic Orthodox Church are beautiful places of worship to visit at the corniche. Mahmya and the Hurghada Marina are also located at the corniche.
Strait of Gubal Wreck Diving
Gubal is known to have the most wrecks and reefs in the entirety of the Red Sea. There are over 30 different diving sites across the strait. Here you’ll find Egypt’s most famous wreck - The Thistlegorm. There are many other well-known wrecks like The Rosalie Moller, Dunraven, Barge Wreck and The Kingston Wreck. Apart from wrecks, there is an incredible spot along the strait known as the Stingray Station since many blue-spotted stingrays can be spotted here. The best time to find them around is during spring.
Desert Safari
Hurghada is known for its majestic deserts, and a safari is the best way to explore them. The desert safaris include quad bikes and venture across hidden dunes, Bedouin villages, ancient landmarks and the east Arabian desert hills, also known as Sahara Park.
The most beautiful phenomenon to witness is the colour of the desert changing at sunset. Safaris in Hurghada can happen through jeeps, quads or even camels. Booking is available online and manually.
Diving at Gota Abu Ramada
Gota Abu Ramada is the heart of the Red Sea aquatic life. It is, in fact, known as The Aquarium for its diverse and dense marine life. The diving depth goes up to 15 meters in Gota Abu Ramada. A variety of butterflyfish, parrotfish, groupers, sweetlips, moray eels, goatfish, barracudas, stonefish and jacks can be spotted and sometimes even turtles, dolphins, blue spotted stingrays and eagle rays too.
The coral life is also extreme, from soft and hard corals to brain corals, coral pinnacles, anemones and gorgonians.
Hurghada Marina
Hurghada Marina is a beautiful place with strikingly picturesque views where people usually go for a refreshing stroll and delicious food. It is located near the main street of Sakala called Sheraton Road and has two entrances. A sightseeing train keeps going around the place, which children especially love.
It is wheelchair-friendly, where one can easily move strollers and wheelchairs around. Fun day cruises are available at Pirate Boat, where hotel pick-up, wi-fi, snorkeling equipment, lunch buffets, drinks, and beverages are included. There are also cute shops to shop from and other activities like 'Bungee Rocket' that can add more adventure to their trip. The special events also happen in clubs like Papas Beach Club, where famous DJs come for big gatherings and parties. Hurghada Marina is lively, beautiful and vibrant, where one can stargaze and truly feel the soul of the place.
