The Red Sea Coast

The Red Sea Coast is a region of eastern Egypt, following the shoreline of the Red Sea for 800 km (500 miles) from Suez in the north to the Sudanese border in the south. It is Egypt's fastest developing area for overseas travellers and is best known for its warm climate year-round, for its clear azure waters, for its beach resorts and, given the presence of many species of exotic fish and coral, for its value as a diving destination.

Hurghada

Hurghada is a resort town on the Red Sea Coast

The town of Hurghada has a small market street for tourists, but otherwise doesn't offer much for visitors to the Red Sea resorts, except for a taste of the way typical Egyptians live. Most of the hotels along the Red Sea are self-contained resorts, ideal for families who don't mind being isolated from authentic Egyptian culture for the duration of their trip. Some resorts connect, so it is possible to visit the shops and restaurants of other resorts if you tire of the same buffet dinners offered by your hotel night after night.

What to See and Do

Of course, the main reason to visit Hurghada is for the beautiful Red Sea, which is excellent for diving or snorkeling. If you aren't licenced to dive, it is often possible to snorkel and see incredible coral reefs and hundreds of varieties of tropical fish just 10 meters from the beach. Again, either your hotel will have dive escorts on site, or they can arrange a scuba diving expedition with guides. In late March, the water is still quite cold (21 Celsius), so a wet suit is necessary, and even snorkeling in a bathing suit is too cold after about 10 minutes. It is also windy in late March.