Visit Hurghada

The city of Hurghada was founded in the early 20th century and, until a few years ago, was a small fishing village.

Image Gallery Hurghada © Chicurel. Arnaud/hemis.fr Hurghada has now become the leading seashore resort on the Red Sea with a wide range of holiday villages and hotels providing aquatic sport facilities for sailboarders, yachtsmen, scuba divers and snorklers.

Crystal clear waters, desert sands and year round sunshine make Hurghada a favourite with tourists from around the world.

Eating & Drinking

Hurghada offers plenty of bars and clubs to keep the younger crowd entertainment and there are also a wide choice of restaurants on offer. Local delicacies such as Karkaday (a drink made from an infusion of hibiscus, served hot or cold and reputed to have many health benefits) and Chi (local version of tea, usually served in a glass) are offered everywhere. Visitors will also find plenty of restaurants to appeal to a more cosmopolitan palate as well as family friendly hotel restaurants.

Entertainment

Hurghada has become an international center for aquatic sports like windsurfing, kiting, sailing, deep-sea fishing, swimming, and above all snorkeling and diving. The underwater gardens offshore are considered some of the finest in the world and the warm waters attract many varieties of fish and coral, which, if you don't fancy diving, may also be observed from a glass bottom boat.

The surrounding area

The city provides a gateway to diving sites throughout the Red Sea, owing to its central location.

Al Quseir is one of the Egyptian gateways, and one of the oldest cities on the western coast of the Red Sea. Al Quseir is known for diving, with many miles of unspoiled coral reef. Most hotels have dive centres, and there are some downtown, as well. Safaris are popular here, either by quad bike or jeep, including trips into the desert and visits to a Bedouin village, as is camel-riding.

El Gouna is a privately-owned luxury hotel town, about 25 km north of Hurghada. Quiet and clean, the town consists of several islands separated by channels and connected by bridges. Besides 14 hotels and 2 marinas, there are also 300 private villas and apartments, and some 500 more are under construction. El Gouna provides diving and watersports centres, horse stables, gokarting, shopping arcades, bazaars, a wide selection of restaurants and bars, night clubs, an internet cafe, a marina and the only casino on the Red Sea coast.

Soma Bay is a tourist resort situated 45 km (28 mi) south of Hurghada, with various hotels including Hyatt Regency, Inter-Continental, Robinson Club and Sheraton.