The Red Sea is one of the most spectacular dive locations in the world, and its west coast resorts offer a huge choice of sites and experiences. El Gouna alone has well over 30 diving sites including wrecks and coral reefs. It is the closest resort to the celebrated Thistlegorm wreck. Around Hurghada, you can find underwater coral gardens and giant gorgonians as well as coral reef islands offshore.
Marine life you may encounter on a dive could include huge Napoleon fish, turtles, moray eels, reef sharks, groupers, rainbow wrasse, and butterfly fish.
Ain Sukhna is an ideal base from which to explore the Eastern Desert and visit its historic monasteries.
While not as well-known as St Catherine’s in the Sinai, they are just as fascinating and historically significant.
Just 90 minutes from Ain Sukhna, St Anthony’s was founded in 356AD and is the world’s oldest active monastery. Nearby is St Paul’s Monastery, is thought to date back to the 5th century. Both are grand, fortified complexes set in the Red Sea mountains near Za’farana, to the south. A day trip could also include a visit to the Suez Canal.
The vast expanses of desert behind the Red Sea are an action-packed adventure zone just waiting to be explored. From Hurghada, Makadi Bay, Soma Bay, El Gouna and other resorts you can take half-day or day-trip excursions into the desert to try camel or horse riding, quad biking, sand sailing, take a 4x4 desert safari, visit a Bedouin village, smoke a traditional hookah water pipe and have a barbeque dinner under the stars after watching the sun go down. It is also possible to cross the desert to visit Luxor in one day.
Take a cruise to one of the Red Sea’s many offshore islands on a day trip or evening sunset and barbecue cruise. Watch out for dolphins on the way.
From Hurghada, boat trips go to islands including Giftun, a beautiful national park island group, and set passengers down on a secluded, sandy beach to spend the day lazing, swimming, and snorkeling.
For a more romantic touch, you can board a sailing boat in El Gouna and search out coves and unspoiled islands. From Soma Bay, Tobia Island is a small, sandy island that is popular for tourist boat trips.