Safaga Port Red Sea Egypt

Safaga is renowned for its unpolluted atmosphere, black sand dunes, and mineral springs (Wellness & Spa)

Windsurfer53 kilometers south of Hurghada stands Safaga, an ancient marine port well-known for its unpolluted atmosphere, black dunes, and mineral springs.

The town has built a great reputation as a wellness and spa resort visitors have a wide choice of very high-quality facilities. A favorite watersports destination for windsurfers, kitesurfers, and scuba divers, Safaga is a relaxed and laid-back destination more suited for those who love to take part in diving and other sports during the day and prefer beach parties to large nightclubs by night.

It also makes a perfect base for sightseeing, with the desert to the west holding as many treasures on dry land as the Red Sea holds beneath its surface to the east.

Safaga itself is a sizeable Egyptian town built up around its port, built because of Safaga’s proximity to the ancient gateway through the Red Sea Hills to the Nile, used as far back as during the time of the Roman Empire.

Having retained much of its local color and feel, visitors will find local shops and markets selling souvenirs as well as more traditional goods such as spices, local food, and crafts.

In and around Safaga there are a number of resorts, offering essential Red Sea activities such as windsurfing, kitesurfing, snorkelling, swimming, sunbathing, and of course scuba diving. Clear waters and beautiful sandy beaches meet at the shoreline to make Safaga a perfect spot for a relaxed holiday off the beaten track, but with the facilities and activities one would expect of a much larger and busier resort.

Peaceful dives sites

Diving from Safaga is varied and interesting, the dive sites are peaceful and the coral is unspoilt. A key feature for groups travelling to Safaga is that there are sites for all levels of diver here, with shore dives on the house reefs for beginners and some deeper drift dives offshore for the more experienced. 

Dive schools operate here, and guests can combine the relaxation of a holiday by the beach with an opportunity to gain knowledge and experience as a diver in some of the best dive spots in the world.

The coral reefs are characterized by pinnacles, slopes, grottos and overhangs and all are well populated with a startling array of marine life.

Adventurous day trips

Day trips away from the sea can take adventurous types out into the desert, where it is possible to travel by four-wheel drive or to ride your own quad bike out into the landscape, taking in spectacular vistas of sand, rocks, oases and mountains, before visiting a Bedouin village and riding in the Egyptian desert on a camel, sure to become a lifelong memory and a tale to tell when you return home.

The visit culminates with guests enjoying a barbecue dinner whilst being entertained by traditional Bedouin music, before setting off back by quad bike or jeep to Safaga. These tours can be half day or full day trips.

Quad adventure

It is also possible to explore unexpected historical treasures from the time of the Roman Empire (like the Mons Claudianus an old Roman granite fortress complex lying just 40km from Safaga), or even take a trip to the south and Luxor, with its incredible ancient temples and other historic sites.

In all hotels in Safaga, you will find watersport and diving centres hiring snorkelling equipment, and organising guided and non-guided snorkelling trips to the best places in the area. They also cater well for children, with professional guides teaching youngsters how to use a snorkel, mask and fins, which will teach them the skills needed for an experience they will always remember.

Tobia Island

Tobia Island, a small sand bank island in the middle of the bay of Safaga, is a popular excursion from Safaga’s hotels and resorts.

The island is an ideal spot to spend a day at sea aboard one of the many day excursion dive boats. Hotels, diving and aqua centres in Safaga offer half day or full day excursions to the island, which is a wonderful site for snorkelling and observing the outstanding coral heads in shallow water, which make snorkelling easy, fun, and great for children. A full day excursion generally includes lunch on board the boat, and the use of snorkelling equipment.

For those who would rather take on some of the best diving in the area, the dive boats also travel to some locations where a single trip can let you experience many different types of dive, from sandy shallows to towering coral pillars.

Ras Abu Soma

Clown fishRas Abu Soma is located off Soma Bay, close to Safaga. There is a large lagoon here, and this site is easily accessible from the shore, where in recent years a 300 metre jetty has been built. Giant moray eels frequent the area, as well as cuttlefish, clown fish and octopuses. This spot offers varying degrees of adventure, with a long, sandy slope before the wall drops away into the depths. As you head to the north the sandy slope becomes thinner, until it eventually joins the main reef wall. Shortly before this is a small cave or overhang which goes a short distance into the coral reef. Heading back to the south you can finish your dive over the sand plateau where blue spotted rays and even the occasional eagle ray may pay you a visit. With ever-present clown-fish in their anemones and all the colourful marine life this site has to offer, this is a very pleasant dive suitable for all levels of diver.

With diving like this, trips to the desert, and a relaxed atmosphere away from the hustle and bustle of the larger resorts, Safaga makes an ideal getaway for busy people who would like to experience some fun and adventure whilst slowly winding down from the stresses of everyday life.