Sharm el Sheikh must be one of the best-known Red Sea resorts, and with the diving and snorkelling opportunities there, that is hardly surprising. It has everything you could dream of for a perfect diving holiday.
- Dive in Sharm el Sheikhutnapistim / Foter / CC BY-NC
The waters of the Red Sea are crystal clear and offer fantastic visibility, which is important when there’s so much to see below the surface, and the sea temperatures don’t drop below 21°C (70°F) at any time of the year. With extensive coral reefs close to the shore, Sharm el Sheikh can lay claim to some of the world’s most stunning underwater landscapes.
The town itself is located on the southern tip of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, at the point where the Gulf of Suez and Gulf of Aqaba meet. With less than a third of an inch of rain each year, you can really count on the weather not spoiling your stay, and the temperatures on the beach are sizzling without being oppressive. There are some great places to stay, too, whether you want to live it up a bit at The Grand Hotel up on the cliff top overlooking Tiran Island, or get right down on the beach at the Hilton Dahab Resort with its own PADI dive centre and watersports. Wherever you choose to stay, though, there are plenty of opportunities to don the scuba gear and explore some of the five hundred or more dive sites along the coast. Popular dives can be found in Shark’s Bay, Na’ama Bay and White Knight Bay, whilst more experienced divers will appreciate the reefs around Ras Mohammed and Tiran.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve dived before or not, because there are lessons and training for every level from the absolute beginner right up to advanced certification, all with approved PADI instructors. With local dive guides to lead you to the best underwater locations, you can be sure of memories you’ll savour for life.
The coral reefs are home to a truly dazzling array of marine life, with over a thousand different species of fish. Forty of these you will only ever encounter in the Red Sea, like the golden yellow Masked Butterflyfish and the almost psychedelic Red Sea Flasher Wrasse. The corals are equally colourful, with big masses of red, yellow and purple all brought to life by darting shoals and solitary fish lurking in crevices. Larger species you’re likely to meet include Green Turtles and Hawkbill Turtles which nest annually on the surrounding beaches, and the gentle Dugong that is believed to have sparked the legend of the mermaid. There are also rays, moray eels, and even sharks.
When you fancy a change from the unrelenting beauty of the Red Sea’s wildlife, it is also possible to take in some wreck diving and visit the SS Thistlegorm, a British merchant vessel which sank in 1941.
Even the most intrepid diver will not spend all their time under the waves, and Sharm el Sheikh has plenty of land-based attractions, too. From simply sitting on the beach to trekking the desert on camel back, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. The night life and dining is as good as any other world class resort. With a choice of restaurants from local to cosmopolitan, formal to relaxed, some offering shisha bars and rooftop terraces, you won’t be at a loss once the sun goes down, either.
