Hurghada: Coral Reefs, Dive Sites and City Life

Hurghada brings together coral reefs and an unspoiled coastline with a lively city center. The Giftun Islands lie nearby, along with dive sites and desert activities east of the city. When planning your stay, you can first decide whether to focus on the sea and diving, museums and markets, or an activity in the desert. These interests offer a practical starting point for searching for hotels in Hurghada.

Coral Reefs and the Giftun Islands

Hurghada has coral reefs and an unspoiled coastline. The nearby Giftun Islands offer opportunities for snorkeling, diving and exploring underwater caves; some caves are up to 45 meters deep. Their landscape features white sand and clear blue water. The islands thus add a distinct focus on water activities to Hurghada’s coastal character.

Hurghada’s dive area includes the protected Giftun Islands Marine Park. An entrance fee is required; include this cost in your plans for visiting.

Dive Sites with Different Highlights

Most dives in Hurghada take place as part of daily or half-day boat trips. This gives you an idea of how much time diving can take during your stay. The dive sites also differ in their features: Gota Abu Ramada is a network of coral gardens and one of the well-known dive sites near Hurghada. The Aquarium at Gota Abu Ramada is considered a suitable dive site for learning to dive.

Small Giftun is located in Giftun National Park and is considered particularly suitable for technical divers. Steep walls, caves and canyons define this dive site. Dolphin House is also located near Hurghada and is a popular dive site where swimming with dolphins in their natural habitat is possible. The sites’ features offer different points of interest, from coral gardens and a place to learn to dive to a site for technical divers.

City Life and Egyptian History

Hurghada’s lively city center has cafés, shops, museums and traditional markets to explore. If you want to include city life in your stay as well as the sea and diving, you’ll find a range of options to consider here.

Hurghada Museum is the first antiquities museum in the Red Sea Governorate. It presents Egypt’s history from the ancient Egyptian, Greco-Roman, Jewish, Christian and Islamic periods through to modern times. A marine museum and aquarium in the city center features underwater tunnels; visitors can also watch the fish being fed there. These two institutions offer different highlights: Hurghada Museum spans Egypt’s history, while the marine museum and aquarium focus on the underwater world and fish feeding.

Airport and Activities East of the City

Hurghada Airport is 3.24 miles south of Hurghada, providing a geographic point of reference for your arrival. Desert activities by quad bike, dune buggy or jeep are offered east of the city. If you plan to take such an excursion, confirm the specific offering with a licensed provider. This can help you decide whether your stay should focus mainly on dive sites and islands, the city center or a desert activity.

More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Ad Dahhār, Marsa Alam, Quseir, Abu Ghusun, Za‘farānah, Safaga, El Gouna

Back to the main travel overview: Red Sea Governorate.