Diving and Snorkelling in Egypt
The Red Sea offers some of the best diving and snorkelling in the world. It may be almost entirely desert, but Egypt is still a bucket-list destination for watersports fans.
There are two main cities in Egypt where you can dive and snorkel: Hurghada, a beach resort town on the Red Sea coast, and Sharm El Sheikh, located between the desert of the Sinai Peninsula and the Red Sea.
Hurghada
Hurghada is one of Egypt's top coastal tourist destinations for its year-long dry summer climate, long natural beaches and calm, crystal-clear waters. It has become popular for a variety of watersports thanks to the incredible marine life in the Red Sea - with some of the most vibrantly colourful reefs in the world and a number of shipwrecks to explore. Some of its most popular dive sites are Abu Ramada Island, Fanadir, Giftun Kebir and Giftun Soraya.
Sharm El Sheikh
What Sharm El Sheikh lacks in ancient history and cultural heritage, it makes up for in fun. A tiny fishing village that became a massive tourist destination, it is almost entirely catered to travellers and holidaymakers. Warm water and stunning scenery attract divers from all around the world: it is home to diverse marine life and sheer underwater walls, as well as the fascinating wreckage of the Yolanda, a cargo ship that sunk in 1980.
As well as diving and snorkelling, both beach resorts offer windsurfing, kitesurfing, para-sailing, kayaking and canoeing.
Booking your trip
If you want to book before you go, on the following page you will find excursions from around € 15 (US$ 15.54) which include 8 hours on the boat, food, water and soft drinks.
Since they live off this type of tourism, once you're in any of these cities you will have no problem finding diving clubs. You can also book diving excursions at the hotels, as many of them have diving clubs.
