Things to do in Hurghada

Hurghada was a fishing village until the 1980s and is now the main resort town on the mainland Red Sea coast. It runs for kilometres along the shore. The old quarter and the marina are its two ends.

The water

Reef islands sit an hour offshore and the boats leave every morning. Most trips are snorkelling with a lunch aboard. Diving works the same reefs deeper.

• Giftun Island. Protected water and pale sand, the standard day out, and busy in season.
• Yacht days. Smaller boats with two dives or a barbecue lunch, sold as the calmer version.
• Submarine trips. A real submersible rather than a glass hull, for non-swimmers.

The desert behind

The Eastern Desert starts immediately inland and is flat, stony and empty. Safaris go out into it daily. Sunset is the usual timing.

• Quads and buggies. The most-sold excursion in town, run from fixed stations in the desert.
• Jeep safaris. Longer and dustier, generally with a Bedouin camp stop and a meal.
• Horses and camels. Sunrise or sunset rides along the desert edge.

Long days out

Hurghada is used as a base for the Nile. Luxor is about four hours by road and sold as a full day. Cairo is done by air.

The town itself

Hurghada is really three places in a row. El Dahar is the old quarter, with the fish market and the mosque. Sekalla is the middle, and the marina is the new south end.

Evenings are organised around shows and the promenade. The Thousand and One Nights production is the long-running one. The aquarium park works for families.

Practical

• Season. Year-round. Summer is very hot on land, and winter can bring wind that cancels boats.
• Long day trips. Luxor by bus is eight hours of driving. Take the flight if the budget allows.
• Sun. Reef-safe sunscreen, and a shirt in the water. Burns happen fast while snorkelling.
• El Dahar. The old town has the real market. The marina has the restaurants.