Things to do in Red Sea Governorate

The Red Sea Governorate is the mainland coast, not Sinai. It runs from the Gulf of Suez down towards the Sudanese border, a thousand kilometres of shoreline. Behind it is the Eastern Desert.

The towns on the coast

Development sits in a handful of places and stops between them. Two airports serve the whole strip. The road links them all.

• Hurghada. The largest, oldest and busiest, with the reef islands offshore.
• Safaga and El Quseir. Working ports with old harbours, quieter and used by windsurfers and divers.
• Marsa Alam. The southern end, thinly built, with dugongs and a national park.
• Port Ghalib. A purpose-built marina town beside the southern airport.

The desert behind the beach

The Eastern Desert is mountainous, dry and inhabited. Ababda and Bishari communities live and herd in it. Roman quarries and emerald mines are still out there.

Safaris run inland every day from the coast. Quads and buggies stay close to the towns. Jeep trips go further and take longer.

What the coast sells

The water comes first, and it works the same way all along the strip. Boat days go to reefs and islands. Shore diving happens straight off the hotel beaches.

The desert is the other product, and it is sold everywhere. Quads and buggies run from fixed stations. Jeep safaris and Bedouin camp evenings go deeper in.

Practical

• Two airports. Hurghada serves the north, Marsa Alam the south. They are about three hours apart.
• Season. Diving works all year. Wind picks up in winter and cancels boat days without notice.
• Distances. The coast road is long and empty. Check which town your excursion actually leaves from.
• The Nile. Luxor is inland from Hurghada and Qena, and sold as a day trip from most of the coast.