Sharm El Sheikh is the most prestigious of the seaside resorts on the Red Sea. What kind of sea is in Egypt? Mediterranean Sea in Egypt

The main resorts in Egypt are concentrated on the shores of two seas: the Red and Mediterranean. Each of the two options has its own characteristics. To have a successful vacation, you need to find out in advance about the advantages and possible disadvantages of a particular resort. For example, information about weather conditions on the coast at different times of the year, as well as excursions and entertainment, will be useful, because before you go to the Red Sea, you need to get as much information as possible about the best places to relax.

Red Sea Resorts

Egyptian resorts are recognized as one of the most favorable places to relax. Even despite the hot climate, they are incredibly popular among travelers. The best time to visit the shores of the Red Sea is from April to May, as well as mid-autumn.

At this time, the air temperature here is the most comfortable (unlike the summer months, when the real tropical heat begins) and the water is warm.

There are a large number of resorts on the Red Sea. However, we can highlight a few of the most beloved and popular ones.

• is a city on the seashore, famous not only for its amazingly clean beaches and amazing coral reefs, but also for entertainment for every taste. This is a real paradise for divers, windsurfers and other outdoor enthusiasts. But those who come to Egypt just to bask in the sun and relax will find something to do. A variety of entertainment complexes, water parks, clubs, and various ones will not let anyone get bored. By the way, the tropical hot sun is tolerated more easily in Hurghada than in other resorts due to the peculiarities of the geography of the area.

• – no less popular seaside resort. The favorable geographical location creates warm, windless weather even in cold seasons. The city is famous for its entertainment complexes and first-class hotels. It is also where incredible coral reefs are located, attracting divers from all over the world. The city even has a national park dedicated to the underwater world and marine nature.

• Dahab is a resort located on the Sinai Peninsula. It is considered one of the inexpensive holiday options, which does not make it less popular among tourists. The most common activities here are scuba diving and windsurfing. A distinctive feature of the local beaches is the coral bottom and heterogeneous sand.

• El Gouna is an elite expensive resort near the Red Sea. There are about two dozen luxury hotels concentrated here, it also has its own airport and many shops and restaurants. The highlight of the resort is the spacious, clean beach and golf course. The city is very beautiful and is also of interest because it is called the local Venice. This is due to the fact that it is divided into islands by several channels.

• Makadi Bay is a resort located near Hurghada. There is not always a convenient descent to the sea and in some places there is a coral bottom. In addition, there is no special entertainment either - they are all concentrated in Hurghada. Therefore, people usually come here seeking a secluded holiday in the lap of nature.

Advantages of Egypt's Red Sea resorts:

1. The richness of the underwater world and the beauty of coral reefs. It is the Red Sea that is considered the most attractive for divers. If only because the rarest species of fish and unique corals live here.
2. Clean and well-kept beaches stretching along the entire coast. And in some places, sand also has healing properties.
3. Various excursions and entertainment. In this regard, the most interesting are Hurghada, El Gouna and Sharm el-Sheikh.
4. High-quality and affordable service. Most resorts in Egypt are known for their high level of service and comfort. At the same time, prices are quite affordable for most travelers. Therefore, families often come here.

Excursions

Although tourism in Egypt is, first of all, an unrivaled beach holiday, there are also many interesting attractions. Resorts offer travelers a large number of exciting and educational excursions. Let's list the most common ones.

Sharm el-Sheikh is rightfully considered the pearl of the Red Sea (although in accordance with the official letter of Rosreestr it is correct to say “Sharm el-Sheikh”) - a fashionable resort city located on the Red Sea coast in the south of the Sinai Peninsula. The city is famous for its luxurious hotels, coral reefs, but the sea is considered its greatest wealth - it is for this that thousands of tourists come here every year from all over the world.

Translated from Arabic, “Sharm el-Sheikh” means “coast (bay) of the sheikh.” The city was known back in the days of the Ottoman Empire, but today it is significantly different from other settlements in Egypt, rather reminiscent of one of the European resorts (the reason for this is the excellent climate, favorable location, rich resources and, as a result, intensive qualitative development), which is positive affected its popularity among tourists.

Table. Prices in some hotels in Sharm el-Sheikh

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The underwater life of Sharm el-Sheikh needs no introduction; it is no coincidence that Jacques Cousteau and his team “checked in” here more than once or twice, not forgetting to shoot fantastically colorful videos. All kinds of coral sponges, reefs, algae, anemones and other tailless creatures are just a colorful decoration for the crazy number of scaly creatures living in the waters of Sharm. You simply don’t want to emerge from this “paradise of cold-blooded people,” especially knowing that the surface of the Red Sea in this deserted place is not nearly as good as life under water. Boring-looking low hotel complexes with dusty and slightly withered palm trees - this is the landscape that awaits a tourist touched by the advances of the fish. And here comes the same bummer for many, for which Sharm el-Sheikh begins to be indiscriminately criticized upon return. Yes, the “superficial” life of this resort is not half as good as in Nice, but that’s not why they go to Sharm.

For decades now, this resort on the Red Sea has been considered an ideal place for a vegetable, relaxing holiday, where you can lose yourself, soak up the sun, bathe your children - and all this against the backdrop of unreal sea beauties. Professionally cheerful animators with tired songs by the pools, Swedish feasts (which, by the way, are not particularly honored here) and all kinds of hammams and tennis courts are just a tiny addition that is not interesting to mention.

Resorts in Egypt: which ones are there and what to choose?

On almost all the beaches in these areas, corals start almost from the very edge of the water and stretch for 15-30 m. This is inconvenient for children to swim in, but it pleases lovers of underwater flora and fauna who watch outlandish coral fish and other wonders of the Red Sea right here under your feet.

Diving in the Red Sea

Diving in Sharm

Sharm el-Sheikh and diving are practically synonymous: the resort is known primarily as an ideal place to dive into the beauty of the Red Sea. You can snorkel and snorkel here absolutely everywhere, and dive almost everywhere: there are 16 dive sites along the coast. Plus, for the amusement of keen divers, Sharm el-Sheikh also has entire diving areas, the most famous of which are the Ras Mohammed Marine Reserve and Tiran Island. Here are just some of the underwater beauties of Charm: regular, fire and soft corals, massive porites and favites, hammerhead sharks, barracudas, anthias, napoleon wrasses, trevally and surgeonfish, manta rays, moray eels and crocodile fish. In addition, there are several interesting wrecks here: the ships “Dunraven” and “Thistlegorm” were sunk in 1876 and 1941, respectively, a Turkish ship with amphorae and another one with toilets (no joke!).

For those who want to dive right at the resort, we can recommend the areas of Sharks Bay, Nabq and Ras Umm al-Sid. In Sharks Bay, each hotel has its own dive center, where they will offer scuba diving directly from the shore or take you by boat to particularly remarkable reefs. Depth is about 20 m, visibility is also 20 m. Interesting night dives are carried out. In Nabq you can dive from a pontoon (including to a sunken ship - opposite the Calimera Royal Albatros Moderna hotel) or go to the nearest reserve of the same name, which is part of the famous Ras Mohammed. In Ras Umm al-Sid, divers will encounter excellent 20-meter visibility, depths up to 20-25 m, large corals, stingrays, barracudas and small sharks.

Sharm El Sheikh Hotels

In total, about 200 hotels are open to the services of holidaymakers in Sharm, the majority are 4 and 5 star categories. If you wish, you can also find three rubles, but their quality, as a rule, leaves much to be desired. It can be difficult to understand such an abundance of accommodation options, so the main questions that tourists should ask themselves are, firstly, what type of holiday they prefer, secondly, the quality of the beach, thirdly, how interested they are in regular trips from the hotel to looking for entertainment.

In general, the number of rooms in Sharm el-Sheikh is quite old - this is especially true in the classic tourist areas of Hadaba and Naama Bay. Sharks Bay has newer hotels, while the most modern ones are clustered in Nabq and, to a lesser extent, in Ras Umm al-Sid. Nabq was the last to be built up (and continues to do so) among the districts of Sharm, so local hotels, as a rule, have large well-groomed areas, a long beach and several swimming pools, often with slides.

The beaches of Sharm are described in detail above. In general, if a “trouble-free” entry into the sea on a real sandy beach is important to you, go to Sharm el Maya. Beaches cleared of corals (still with the danger of stepping on the remnants of them) will greet you in Naama Bay. The last few hotels in Nabq also do not have corals, but the sea here is very shallow and algae is present. In other areas of Sharm, swimming is from pontoons.

The most entertainment will greet you when leaving the hotels in Hadaba and Naama Bay. In Sharks Bay, there is a modern entertainment district, Soho, built right next to the Savoy Hotel, consisting of a square with musical fountains and an abundance of shopping centers, cafes and restaurants.

You can study the accommodation options at the resort in detail on the page “Hotels in Sharm el-Sheikh”.

Shopping

Relatively inexpensive shops and restaurants are concentrated in the Old Market area of ​​the Old Town. There you can buy various souvenirs at a relatively low price, and at the same time check out the fruit market. The most expensive shops are in the area of ​​the tourist center in Naama Bay.

What to buy: hookah (“shisha”), plates with Arabic designs, stone figurines of ancient Egyptian gods and pharaohs (15-30 EGP), papyri (low-quality 1-3 EGP, good wrinkle-resistant 10-20 EGP), oils and essences (1 ml - 3-5 EGP), jewelry in the ancient Egyptian style. In any store, on a cartouche (an oval frame used in ancient texts whenever the name of the pharaoh was mentioned) in 15 minutes the name will be written in gold or silver in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Cosmetic products deserve attention - not only those produced in Egypt, but also imported from “friendly” Arab countries: essential and massage oils and a large selection of hair care products from Dabur, natural oils from Pakistan “Hemani”, spices (it is better to buy in supermarkets or grocery stores by weight from large tubs), dates, halva and sweets. It is also worth taking a closer look at the accessories for the hammam - cotton sheets, loofah washcloths and gommage mittens.

What to try in Sharm

Gastronomic interests in Sharm el-Sheikh are based on two pillars: firstly, on dishes of general Egyptian cuisine, and secondly, on the abundance of the freshest fish and seafood from the Red Sea. From the first category, suitable for a light snack are kebabs made from minced meat “kofta” (emphasis on the “o”), a “working noon” dish called “koshari” made from rice, pasta, chickpeas and lentils with tomato sauce, rice itself Egyptian with a variety of sauces and falafel balls of beans and vegetables. For a more refined lunch, you can have creamed lentil soup “ATS” and pigeon or duck, again stuffed with rice. The meal should definitely end with dessert: hot “umm-ali” made from puff pastry, milk and pistachios, or sweets - baklava, semolina pie “basbousa” filled with syrup or sweet “vermicelli” called “kunafa”.

Do not forget that alcohol in Egypt is served only in “tourist-oriented” restaurants.

Fish and seafood are served in all possible ways of preparation: grilled, baked with coarse salt, stewed in sauce, cold and hot, separately and assorted. The menu includes squid and cuttlefish, octopus, shrimp, sea bream, sea bass, swordfish and some exotic Red Sea fish - for example, deep-sea anglerfish.

Cafes and restaurants

It is absolutely impossible to remain hungry in Sharm el-Sheikh: a lot of restaurants and cafes in the resort are ready to please tourists with Egyptian and international cuisine. You won’t have to look for a long time to find a catering establishment: upon leaving the hotel, you are almost guaranteed to run into several “competing companies”. There is a particularly large concentration of cafes and restaurants on the main street of the resort (Salam, or Peace road), in Naama Bay and Hadaba. There are a large number of establishments serving European and Asian cuisine - Italian, French, Japanese, as well as an excellent steakhouse in Naama Bay.

A full meal for two will cost 150-200 EGP in a European restaurant and 250-300 EGP in a fish restaurant.

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Guides in Sharm el-Sheikh

Entertainment and attractions in Sharm el-Sheikh

The main attractions of Sharm el-Sheikh are the incredibly beautiful underwater world, gorgeous beaches, plus a small number of new buildings: pseudo-palaces from the Arabian Nights, dry and water amusement parks, shopping and entertainment centers.

You can get a dose of historical excursion by heading to the Coptic Church, the Papyrus Museum, the Al-Mustafa Mosque and the Tutankhamun Museum. The church is located in the Ennur district, remote from the coast, and consists of two churches - the lower, older one, in the basement, and the upper one, in the best traditions of cathedrals in some France. Here you should see the wonderful mosaics and magnificent interior paintings in an unexpectedly modern spirit, admire the fine workmanship of the Patriarch's chair and admire the lion statues in the courtyard, and also be amazed at the unusual Coptic Bible written in Arabic.

The Papyrus Museum is a smaller copy of the museum of the same name in Cairo, where you can not only admire ancient Egyptian specimens, but also learn more about the technologies for making papyrus and its types, as well as purchase a painting or inscription on this unusual material.

Al-Mustafa Mosque can only be viewed from the outside: its appearance is impressive with two 26-meter minarets, the splendor of architectural decoration and the overall elegance of the design, which refers to the classical mosques of Iran and Uzbekistan. And the Tutankhamun Museum displays copies of objects found in the tomb of the pharaoh: from a chariot to caskets and a funeral mask. The exposition is accompanied by signs in Russian.

National parks

Within Sharm el-Sheikh there is the world-famous Ras Mohammed National Park, formed by the merger of this territory with the Nabq National Park. At the same time, you can come to both national parks separately. Most tourists get to the Nabq National Park (located in the Sharma district of the same name) by boat from the sea; from the road you can only drive there with an all-wheel drive vehicle. Entrance - 5 USD plus 5 USD per car. Here you can explore not only underwater landscapes (snorkeling or diving), but also land - its famous mangroves.

Ras Mohammed (25 km from Sharm el-Sheikh) occupies the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. Here, in addition to fantastic marine life (barracudas, sea turtles and sea snakes), you can also find rare land inhabitants: fennec foxes, herons, birds of prey. Until 14:00-15:00 the park is full of excursion groups. Inspection of the area usually starts from the main beach, then the salt lake, mangroves, observation deck and the beach next to it. Entrance fee is 10 USD, of which 5 USD is per car.

Entertainment and clubs

Popular discos: Le Pacha (ex. Bus Stop), Hard Rock Cafe (the most interesting things here begin after one in the morning), Smash disco bar and Black House (at the Tropicana Rosetta hotel). Children's amusement park Fun Town (5 EGP per attraction), Arabian Nights amusement park, dolphinarium. Here you can also play tennis, race go-karts or play golf.

Children's entertainment in Sharm el-Sheikh is mainly concentrated on the territory of hotels - the main thing is to choose the right hotel for a holiday with the youngest tourists. Pay attention to the hotel's animation in Russian (this is not uncommon), a mini-club, child-friendly food and, of course, a convenient beach. Some hotels have children's bars and snack bars, where your child can enjoy ice cream, cotton candy and popcorn throughout the day. High-level “fives” provide children's robes and slippers.

The entertainment program for children outside the hotels is represented by a dolphinarium and a water park, the Fun Town amusement park and the Arabian Nights amusement park. Dolphina Park Dolphinarium is located in the Nabq area. Here you can not only watch a show with dolphins, but also take pictures and swim with them. The Aqua Blue Water Park is located in Ras Umm el-Sid Bay and offers adults and children a variety of moderately extreme and very simple slides, a lazy river, a pool with artificial waves and fun animation. "Fan Town" is a small amusement park with trains, carousels and horse and camel rides. The Arabian Nights amusement park and shopping complex is located in the Hadaba area. Until 16:00 you can visit it for free - look at the interior in the spirit of oriental fairy tales, go shopping and relax in cafes and hookah bars. In the evening, a light and musical performance about the history and folklore of Egypt begins with oriental dances, a show with snakes and fire, an equestrian show and magic performances. In Soho Square, you and your child will be delighted by the evening performance of musical fountains (every day, duration - 45 minutes). You can also take your child on an evening excursion to the Bedouins, during which they will perform folk dances in front of you, feed you traditional dishes and invite you to admire the myriads of mysteriously twinkling southern stars through a telescope.

October

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December

Despite the fact that the tourist season in Sharm el-Sheikh lasts all year round, it is customary to separate two seasons, each with its own charms: a mild winter, suitable for those who cannot tolerate high temperatures, and a hot summer - the most beachy and sunbathing with noticeably baking sun. Rain in Sharm el-Sheikh is extremely rare, the air is dry and warm at any time of the year.

In summer, the thermometer sometimes reaches +40 °C. However, low air humidity and constantly blowing winds make it possible to tolerate the heat quite easily.

During the winter, the temperature at night can drop to +15 °C, so be sure to take a jacket or windbreaker with you. However, the water temperature does not drop below +20 °C even in winter.

Nabq is the windiest area of ​​Sharm el-Sheikh. In summer, it will be comfortable here for those who do not like extreme heat (you need to be careful when sunbathing: there is a danger of “overlying”, deceived by the imaginary coolness). But the winter winds in Nabq pierce to the bones, and the sea is almost always stormy, with strong currents. For a winter holiday, it is better to choose bays sheltered from the winds: Sharm el Maya, Sharks Bay, Ras Umm el Sid or Naama Bay.

It stretches along the seashore for several tens of kilometers. The most famous area of ​​the resort among tourists is Naama Bay, locally called Vegas due to its vast and diverse entertainment industry. In the city center you will find casinos and hotels of all price categories, restaurants with rich menus and nightclubs that never remain empty for a minute. And yet, the main treasure that attracts thousands of travelers to the Egyptian shores is, of course, the sea. In Sharm el-Sheikh, whose name translates from Arabic as “sheikh’s bay,” the Red Sea forms the Gulf of Aqaba, which extends further to the northeast to the shores of and.
The climate at the resort is classified as tropical desert, and therefore in summer the thermometer often reaches +45°C. The sea warms up to +28°С - +29°С in summer, but even in winter the water temperature never drops below +20°С - +22°С, which allows vacationers on the beaches of Sharm el-Sheikh to swim quite comfortably even in January.

Choosing a beach

The Red Sea ranks first in the rankings of the most beautiful on the planet. When choosing a hotel in Sharm el-Sheikh, you can focus on any preferences, but you can be sure that bright fish will delight you on all the beaches. But corals can cause some inconvenience, so you should stock up on special shoes for safe entry into the water or prefer a beach with pontoons:

• In the Naama Bay area there are many coastal areas that are partially covered with imported sand. Corals will not interfere with swimming, and special buoys serve as landmarks for such comfortable zones.
• Sharm el Maya is the most favorable area of ​​the resort for families with children. Fine sand and a gentle entrance to the sea, which remains shallow for quite a long time, are necessary conditions for safe swimming for children and those who consider themselves not very experienced swimmers. The beaches in this area are equipped with rescue towers, from where they monitor the possible approach of predators.
• In Ras Umm el-Sid, on the contrary, the depth begins immediately from the entrance to the sea. The coastal strip is narrow, it is convenient to dive from the pontoons, but some areas are suitable for swimming for children because they are cleared of corals.
• If you choose Nabka, you can get into the water on most beaches without any problems even on soft sand. Coral thickets begin only after a few tens of meters, and the shallow waters of Nabka are also ideal for family holidays.
• When visiting Sharks Bay, be prepared to dive off the pontoons. There is no other way to safely enter the water at local beaches. But the fauna of the Red Sea in this part of Sharm el-Sheikh will delight you more than anywhere else.

When planning to swim, pay attention to lifeguard signals and the weather forecast. The sea often presents unpleasant surprises, the consequences of which can be avoided by following the accepted rules of behavior.

Diving in Sharm

For lovers of underwater beauty, Sharm el-Sheikh is an ideal place to fulfill your most cherished desires. The diversity of the fauna of the Red Sea is known to divers all over the world, and you can dive or snorkel here in almost any part of the resort coast.
Experienced divers can count more than a dozen sites, among which you can find safe dive sites for beginners and difficult areas for pros.
Among the most famous are the Ras Mohammed Nature Reserve and Tiran Island. The first is a national park that was founded at the end of the last century. Popular dive areas in the reserve: Jackfish with a snow-white reef plateau; Ras-Za'Atir with a 50-meter-high reef with caves and crevices; Anemone City with many fish and a sunken ship transporting plumbing; Stingray Station, where huge manta rays swim in the spring.
In the waters near the island of Tiran you can see turtles and barracudas, as well as sunken ships: a German boat and a ship that remained at the bottom of the Red Sea in the second half of the 20th century. The waters of Tiran Island are known for their underwater canyons, arches and natural amphitheatres.
There are dive centers in Sharm in almost every major hotel. Russian-speaking instructors are also not uncommon, so you can take diving lessons and receive a certificate of completion of the course.

Let's look at what seas wash Egypt.

When going to Egyptian resorts, you need to choose which place you should give preference to. You can choose one of the cities located on the Mediterranean Sea or fly on vacation to the Red Sea.

Mediterranean Sea in Egypt

The Mediterranean Sea can provide a great holiday if you go to the resort at the right time. Despite the fact that Egypt is a rather warm country, it is better to relax on the Mediterranean Sea from April to October. The rest of the time it is not very comfortable here, and in winter it can be downright cold. The average temperature in January-February is 18°C. And although this temperature is very comfortable for walks and excursions, this weather is not suitable for a beach holiday. The water drops to 15-16°C.

The holiday season provides excellent weather for relaxation. The daytime temperature on the beaches is 25-33°C, the water in the sea is 24-28°C. The hottest month is August, but the climate off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea allows vacationers to feel comfortable even at high temperatures.

Tourists on the Mediterranean Sea are offered several popular cities where the tourism sector is most developed. One of the cities is Alexandria. There are a variety of beaches and a wide variety of entertainment. The beaches always have clean sand and clear water. Alexandria is the second largest city in Egypt, so it is crowded; tourists from different countries come to see the local attractions and plunge into the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Alexandria is suitable for a noisy, active holiday.

Mersa Matruh is also located on the Mediterranean coast. The number of vacationers in this place is significantly less than in Alexandria. This is a quieter place, although the best conditions are created for tourists. For walks on the sea, you can rent a boat, and it won’t be difficult to go fishing on a yacht.

Red Sea in Egypt

The Red Sea is one of the most beautiful and amazing places in the world. The weather here is beautiful all year round, you can relax at any time. There is a “season” and “off-season” here, but this division is quite arbitrary. It’s just that in the period from June to August the air temperature is quite high and tourists are forced to spend less time on the beach. But you can always swim in the Red Sea. The water temperature here does not fall below 26°C at any time of the year.

The underwater world of the Red Sea can make you fall in love every minute. Tourists from all over the world come here to dive underwater and see the wonderful nature: amazing fish and unforgettable coral reefs. There are many resorts on the Red Sea, but the most popular are Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada.

Sharm el-Sheikh

Those who want to get the whole range of impressions flock to Sharm el-Sheikh. Here for tourists are the best hotels, beaches, restaurants. Among the most popular entertainment:

• boat trips on a yacht and boat,
• diving,
• surfing,

There are many interesting places in Sharm el-Sheikh and its surroundings that are definitely worth seeing. Some can be reached by bus, while others require sea transport. The coral reefs near Sharm el-Sheikh deserve special attention. They are located along the coast, and snorkeling is popular here. For diving, it is better to go to the islands. For this purpose, excursion groups are recruited. On the islands you can sunbathe, swim, and scuba dive. For those who have decided to go diving for the first time, there are specialized diving centers; you can hire an instructor at the hotel or at a nearby beach. You can also easily find a specialist who will teach surfing. Several beaches are suitable for boarding. One is for beginners, the other two are for professionals. In these places, the Red Sea is ideal for surfing.

Hurghada

Hurghada is also one of the resorts where there is never a dull moment. The coast is filled with hotels, cafes and restaurants; boats regularly depart from piers and piers, taking tourists to uninhabited islands. For those who do not dare to dive into the waters of the Red Sea on their own, there is a special entertainment - boat rides with a transparent bottom. This is a special type of transport, very popular in these places. Tourists can observe the beauty of the underwater world through glass installed in the bottom. You can get more sensations from a trip on the Sinbad submarine. This boat descends to a depth of 20 meters, where the most beautiful views of the underwater world of the Red Sea open up.