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Hurghada |
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Founded in the early 20th century, Hurghada has gone on to become the foremost tourist resort of the Red Sea coast and on international centre for aquatic sports. If it takes place in or on the water you can do it here: windsurfing, sailing, deep-sea fishing, swimming, but, above all, snorkeling and diving. The unique underwater gardens offshore are some of the finest in the world - justifiably famous amongst divers.
Take a day-trip to Giftun Island for snorkeling and a fish barbecue, view the ocean through a glass-bottomed boat or in a submarine. When you're not in the sea you can shop in the boutiques, relax in the luxury holiday villages, visit the Aquarium or the Roman remains at nearby Gebel Abu Dukhan. Day-trips or safaris to explore the Red Sea Mountains by camel or jeep are also available. |
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Safaga |
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Safaga is a working port with several tourist villages specializing in a diving holidays, a handful of hotels and some excellent fish restaurants. Its unspoilt beaches and stiff breezes made it the ideal venue for the 1993 World Windsurfing Championships. Daytrips to Tobia Island or Mons Claudianus in the Red Sea Mountains can be arranged with local guides. |
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Al - Quseir |
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Al - Quseir has a long history as one of the major ports of the Red Sea: from here Queen Hatshepsut launched her expedition to the Land of Punt, as depicted in the relief's in Deir el-Bahari temple al Luxor. Legend has it that the expedition returned with two live panthers and 31 incense trees. The 16th-century fortress of Sultan Selim, still standing in the centre of town, shows al-Quseir's former strategic importance. Today, it is a quiet resort with sandy beaches, clear waters and coral reefs. An ancient caravan trail, to Qift in the Nile Valley, leads from al-Quseir through the mountains, passing several Pharaonic and Roman sites.
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Marsa Alam |
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A village with a small harbour and stone quay, Marsa Alam is the ideal base for a fishing holiday. There are some fine offshore coral reefs and diving facilities are being developed. A nature reserve stretches from here to Gebel Elba in the South.
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Berenice |
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The ancient City of Berenice, named by Ptolemy II, became a trading port in 275 BC. A ruined Temple of Semiramis is near the modern town and, island, there are the remains of the emerald mines of Wadi Sakait, which were worked from Pharaonic to Roman times. The coast is lined with mangrove swamps and unspoilt days and coves. Offshore, visit the tectonic island of Zabargad, a geological phenomenon which is also famous as the source of the semi-precious gem olivine, mined here from 1500 BC until the mid-20th century. From Peridot Hill there are breath-taking views of the surrounding blue lagoons, rich in marine life and home to many dolphins.
St. Anthony's Monastery and its neighbor St. Paul's, are the oldest monasteries in Egypt. Hidden deep in the Red Sea Mountains and relying on springs for their water supply, both still observe rituals that have hardly changed in 16 centuries. They are accessible by special tours from Cairo, Suez or Hurghada and a stay in either monastery can be arranged in advance.
St Anthony's was founded in 356 AD, just after the Saint's death. Today it is a self-contained village with gardens, a mill, a bakery and five churches with exceptional wall paintings and icons. There is also a library with over 1700 handwritten manuscripts.
St. Anthony's Cave, where he lived as a hermit, is a 2 km. hike from the monastery and 680 m. above the Red Sea. It offers stunning views of the mountains and the Sea and the chance to see a wide range of birdlife |
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