Until 1968, Sharm el-Sheikh was only a quiet fishing community. But in recent years it has developed into one of the most popular beach resorts, with more than 200 excellent hotels and tourists from all over the world. With hot summers and pleasant winters, Sharm el-Sheikh is still the main tourist attraction of the Sinai Peninsula.
What to do in Sharm El-Sheikh?
Explore Ras Mohammed National Park
Ras Mohammed National Park is in Sharm el-Sheikh’s top spot on the tourist map. Located 38 kilometers south of Sharm, this peninsula is surrounded by some of the most incredible diving spots in the world, with magnificent beaches and great deep-sea snorkeling.
The second northernmost mangrove forest and a saltwater lake in the world. Although the focus of the diving trip is on marine coral reefs. A day trip to Ras Mohammed explores the desert environment of the peninsula and its beaches. Stopping for swimming and snorkeling along the way. The best beaches are Old Pier Beach (with world-class coral reefs, easily accessible from the shore) and Aqaba Beach.
Travelers looking for beautiful views should head to the cliffside of the Shark Observatory at the southern end of Ras Mohammed. Where the scenery stretches out. On both sides of the Red Sea.
Dive the Thistlegorm Wreck
For many advanced divers, a trip to Sharm el-Sheikh means only one thing: diving in thrips. One of the best shipwrecks in the world. This ship loaded with cargo for the British army was sunk by bombers during World War II by the Germans.
The fish flew over their room now, and the cargo bay was filled with jeeps. Motorcycles, and weapons that had never reached the front line. The sunken ship is located in the Cuba Strait near the west coast of the Sinai Peninsula and offers diving trips.
As a night cruise on the boat. These diving trips usually include at least two dives at the shipwreck in Thistlegorm and dives at the shipwreck in Dunraven (or one of Ras Mohammed’s dive sites) along the way. Many also include night diving opportunities at the Thistlegorm site.
Soak Up the Sun at Naama Bay
Naama Bay is adjacent to white sandy beaches and swaying palm trees, and is the center of tourist life in Sharm el-Sheikh. If you are tired of the beach, there are many restaurants, cafes, and souvenir shops here.
But Naama Bay is really the whole beach. A walkway runs along the entire beach area, followed by a series of high-end and luxury resorts. For those looking for a lazy sunbathing holiday, Naama Bay is one of the best options in Egypt.
The entire beach area has excellent facilities, including plenty of parasols and deck chairs. The seaside cafe means you don’t even have to leave the beach all day.
Please note that the entire beach here is divided into different sections-the area owned and managed by the hotel. That guests of the resort can enter for free. When choosing accommodation in Naama Bay. Especially if it is not beachfront, be sure to check the beach access they provide.
Dive the Jolanda Reef Site
Jolanda Reef Is also known as Yolanda Reef. It is one of the most popular dive sites in the Ras Mohammed Marine Park area. Diving trips here (from Sharm el-Sheikh by boat) usually
include Shark Reef, which also makes it Jolanda Two of the Reef are home to the
wreck of the Jolanda, an old Cyprus freighter carrying a batch of bathroom
porcelain when it ran aground on a coral reef in 1980.
The Shark Reef leading to the shipwreck and the Coral Garden Plateau of the Jolanda Reef are the preferred destinations for viewing marine life. Here, snorkelers will often see
moray eels and barracudas.
Snorkel off Ras Um Sid Beach
One of the best destinations for diving in Sharm El Sheikh is Ras Um Sid Beach. Right at the south end of the city, close to the lighthouse. Where people bend over on the beach or in cafes on the cliffs between snorkeling excursions Humpback.
In the water, near the coast, there is an excellent coral reef that is easy to reach by non-divers. Away from the beach, Ras Um Sid Reef is ideal for first dives and is used as a test drive site by many local dive operators. However, if you are just for snorkeling, you can still see a variety of coral fish near the shore.
Day Trip to Saint Catherine’s Monastery
The main historical destination of the Sinai Peninsula, St. Catherine’s Monastery sits at the foot of Mount Sinai, where Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments.
As one of the oldest monasteries in the world, this Greek Orthodox monastery is home to the famous Old Testament “burning bush” and is also a museum displaying the monastery’s wonderful collection of religious icons and ancient manuscripts.
Group tours from Sharm provide overnight trips. Including a sunrise hike on Mount Sinai and an early morning visit to the monastery.
Climb Mt. Sinai
From the sun-drenched beaches of the coast to the inland. The rugged and mountainous heart of Mount Sinai is very beautiful. To experience this rugged landscape. You can climb 209 kilometers up the coast of Sharm El Sheikh to the summit of Mount Sinai. You will see an orange undulating peak in front of you.
Honored by the three major monotheisms as the place where Moses accepted the 10 commandments. The summit hike is a pilgrimage for many people (usually with a visit to St.
Catherine’s Monastery where the hike starts). There are two main paths leading to the top of the mountain. The Camel Trail is an old turning back road. The Penitence Steps is a more difficult but more beautiful stone step, carved by a monk in the monastery.
Coming from Sharm el-Sheikh, most of the time traveled overnight to reach the starting point of the trail in the early morning. So as to complete the camel trail trek in the cool and dark time. Reach the top of the mountain in time, and watch the sunrise of the surrounding mountains.
Relax on the Beach at Shark’s Bay
Shark`s Bay, one of Sharm el-Sheikh’s newest resort development areas, is located 11 kilometers north of Naama Bay. The atmosphere here is a bit more upscale. With some of the resorts and hotels Sharm’s most luxurious five-star hotels clustered around Shark.
The sandy expanse of the bay. As with Naama Bay, the beach areas are run by individual hotels. That means that the facilities are well-maintained and there are restaurants and cafes on the sand.
Snorkeling off the shore is also good here. Behind the beach, the focus of life in Shark`s Bay is the Soho Square Center. That includes some of Sharm el-Sheikh’s best restaurant and cafe options as well. like stores.
This means that guests of the Shark`s Bay resort often choose not to move from this section of North Sharm during their entire vacation.
Dive Jackson Reef
The Strait of Tiran in the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea is home to some of the top diving sites for experienced divers in Sharm el-Sheikh, while Jackson Reef is usually located in the sand.
Sharm is on the list of most divers traversed. This is the northernmost coral reef in the Strait of Tiran and one of the best places to watch hammerhead sharks and stingrays in the area.
The coral reef is rich in hard and soft coral gardens. Advanced divers can also explore the wreckage of the Laura freighter that ran aground in 1981.
Snorkel or Dive the Blue Hole
The shame of this sinkhole is due to the number of lives it has taken, but all deaths have occurred. Here, they are due to divers diving beyond the normal range of recreational diving.
Although the site is known for its dangers, divers staying within a sensitive range are absolutely safe here. The life of the fish and the incredible view of the ethereal blue below make this an incredibly beautiful drive.
This is also a popular snorkeling spot if you don’t want to go deep. You can see a lot of fish hovering near the surface of the water.
Day Trip to Dahab
Dahab, 90 kilometers north of Sharm el-Sheikh, is the backpacker beach resort of the Sinai and a laid-back alternative to the Sharm el-Sheikh package holiday sensation.
The rocky shoreline is lined with outdoor cafes and restaurants. While a small shopping district winds up the main road in a jumble of souvenir shops.
There is some excellent diving and snorkeling here, with almost all of the local dive sites accessed from the shoreline. Most people who choose to base themselves in Dahab are here for a dive-focused vacation. However, Dahab’s laid-back vibe is also ideal for a day out of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Wreck Dive the Dunraven Site
In 1876, the SS Dunraven was returning to England from Mumbai (then Mumbai) when it hit a rock and sank from the tip of the Sinai Peninsula.
Barnacle inlaid hull. Divers often see large groups of colorful coral fish here, and cardinals, goatfish, scorpions, and pipefish are patrolling the area. It takes two hours to get to the dive site from Sharm el-Sheikh.
So Dunraven is often combined with one of the dive sites in the Ras Mohammed Marine Park area for a day trip or as a stopover. Diving thistlegorm shipwreck.
Shop at Sharm Old Market
Sharm Old Market (also known as Sharm al-Maya) is the open-air market (bazaar) area of ​​the city. Where you can find a large number of flashing Arabian lamps, traditional hookah pipes, and exquisitely carved wooden products.
Or later, when the hottest weather of the day dissipates, you can shop and browse comfortably. Sharm el-Sheikh is one of the best areas for finding classic Egyptian cuisine. As restaurants in the tourist area focus on more international dishes.
Go here to enjoy the traditional cafe life, enjoy hookah and Arabic coffee. At the edge of the market, the area is the newly built Al-Sahaba Mosque. Its majestic appearance is influenced by the styles of Fatima, Mamluk, and Ottoman mosques.
Snorkel or Dive the Gardens Sites
At the northern end of Naama Bay, Garden Reef is close to the coast. This coral reef system is actually three different snorkeling and snorkeling sites, called near the garden, middle garden, and far garden. That can be accessed through the shore and distant gardens.
Home to some amazing coral spikes, there are many flying clownfish and butterflyfish in their residences. Far Garden and Middle Garden are often used as diving sites for beginners to learn to dive and provide excellent samples from the Sharm el-Sheikh area.
Dive Thomas Reef
Thomas Reef is the smallest reef in the Strait of Tiran and is famous for its rich soft coral gardens. Diving trips here are usually part of a day trip by boat, which includes one of the other coral reefs in the Strait of Tiran. The most common being the neighboring Gordon Reef.
Due to the strong currents at this location, it is recommended that experienced divers dive here. It is also a popular spot for technical divers because advanced divers can explore the deep areas of the “three arches”.
When drifting along with the site. You can observe a wealth of fish, including clownfish, pufferfish, and giant moray eels, and the iridescent branch.
Scramble around the Colored Canyon
The aptly named colorful canyon’s undulating, mineral-rich layered rock formations are one of the top natural attractions outside the Sinai waters. Located 177 kilometers north of Sharm el-Sheikh. The canyon is a showcase of the natural beauty of the desert, cut into the rock by thousands of years of wind and water.
Visitors have many opportunities to run along the canyon road and enter the pink stripes of the rock wall.
For nature lovers, this is one of the best days in Sharm el-Sheikh to explore the peculiarly shaped peaks and boulders, painted in bright red and orange tones, providing excellent photo opportunities. If you want to visit, please wear walking shoes with suitable uppers and bring plenty of water.
Discover the Nature Reserve of Nabq Protectorate
Nabq Reserve is located north of Sharm El Sheikh (about 20 kilometers from the center of Naama Bay).
It is a coastal desert landscape with arid beauty and the northernmost home mangrove forest in the world is a sight of sand dunes, secluded beaches, and arak bushes, and is one of the most important protected wildlife sites in Egypt, with an abundance of birds, as well as endemic gazelles and ibex.
Here they offer unspoiled reefs that are easily accessible from shore, while inland this is also a good area for hiking and biking excursions.
