Sharm el Sheikh sea. Open left menu sharm el sheikh. Diving in Sharm

Sharm el-Sheikh is rightfully considered the pearl of the Red Sea (although in accordance with the official letter of Rosreestr it is correct to say “Sharm el-Sheikh”) - a fashionable resort city located on the Red Sea coast in the south of the Sinai Peninsula. The city is famous for its luxurious hotels, coral reefs, but the sea is considered its greatest wealth - it is for this that thousands of tourists come here every year from all over the world.

Translated from Arabic, “Sharm el-Sheikh” means “coast (bay) of the sheikh.” The city was known back in the days of the Ottoman Empire, but today it is significantly different from other settlements in Egypt, rather reminiscent of one of the European resorts (the reason for this is the excellent climate, favorable location, rich resources and, as a result, intensive qualitative development), which is positive affected its popularity among tourists.

Table. Prices in some hotels in Sharm el-Sheikh

It stretches along the seashore for several tens of kilometers. The most famous area of ​​the resort among tourists is Naama Bay, locally called Vegas due to its vast and diverse entertainment industry. In the city center you will find casinos and hotels of all price categories, restaurants with rich menus and nightclubs that never remain empty for a minute. And yet, the main treasure that attracts thousands of travelers to the Egyptian shores is, of course, the sea. In Sharm el-Sheikh, whose name translates from Arabic as “sheikh’s bay,” the Red Sea forms the Gulf of Aqaba, which extends further to the northeast to the shores of and.
The climate at the resort is classified as tropical desert, and therefore in summer the thermometer often reaches +45°C. The sea warms up to +28°С - +29°С in summer, but even in winter the water temperature never drops below +20°С - +22°С, which allows vacationers on the beaches of Sharm el-Sheikh to swim quite comfortably even in January.

Choosing a beach

The Red Sea ranks first in the rankings of the most beautiful on the planet. When choosing a hotel in Sharm el-Sheikh, you can focus on any preferences, but you can be sure that bright fish will delight you on all the beaches. But corals can cause some inconvenience, so you should stock up on special shoes for safe entry into the water or prefer a beach with pontoons:

• In the Naama Bay area there are many coastal areas that are partially covered with imported sand. Corals will not interfere with swimming, and special buoys serve as landmarks for such comfortable zones.
• Sharm el Maya is the most favorable area of ​​the resort for families with children. Fine sand and a gentle entrance to the sea, which remains shallow for quite a long time, are necessary conditions for safe swimming for children and those who consider themselves not very experienced swimmers. The beaches in this area are equipped with rescue towers, from where they monitor the possible approach of predators.
• In Ras Umm el-Sid, on the contrary, the depth begins immediately from the entrance to the sea. The coastal strip is narrow, it is convenient to dive from the pontoons, but some areas are suitable for swimming for children because they are cleared of corals.
• If you choose Nabka, you can get into the water on most beaches without any problems even on soft sand. Coral thickets begin only after a few tens of meters, and the shallow waters of Nabka are also ideal for family holidays.
• When visiting Sharks Bay, be prepared to dive off the pontoons. There is no other way to safely enter the water at local beaches. But the fauna of the Red Sea in this part of Sharm el-Sheikh will delight you more than anywhere else.

When planning to swim, pay attention to lifeguard signals and the weather forecast. The sea often presents unpleasant surprises, the consequences of which can be avoided by following the accepted rules of behavior.

Diving in Sharm

For lovers of underwater beauty, Sharm el-Sheikh is an ideal place to fulfill your most cherished desires. The diversity of the fauna of the Red Sea is known to divers all over the world, and you can dive or snorkel here in almost any part of the resort coast.
Experienced divers can count more than a dozen sites, among which you can find safe dive sites for beginners and difficult areas for pros.
Among the most famous are the Ras Mohammed Nature Reserve and Tiran Island. The first is a national park that was founded at the end of the last century. Popular dive areas in the reserve: Jackfish with a snow-white reef plateau; Ras-Za'Atir with a 50-meter-high reef with caves and crevices; Anemone City with many fish and a sunken ship transporting plumbing; Stingray Station, where huge manta rays swim in the spring.
In the waters near the island of Tiran you can see turtles and barracudas, as well as sunken ships: a German boat and a ship that remained at the bottom of the Red Sea in the second half of the 20th century. The waters of Tiran Island are known for their underwater canyons, arches and natural amphitheatres.
There are dive centers in Sharm in almost every major hotel. Russian-speaking instructors are also not uncommon, so you can take diving lessons and receive a certificate of completion of the course.

Red sea

The Red Sea is one of the most attractive regions for tourists. The main thing here is the unique nature. After all, not a single river flows into the Red Sea, so there is no influx of sand and silt, which makes its waters especially transparent and clean. Although the sea is called Red (due to the red color of the coastal rocks), the water in it is blue and absolutely transparent. Even in winter it does not cool down below 18-20 degrees, and in summer it is ten degrees warmer. There are legends about the exotic marine life of the Red Sea. In terms of quality and diversity of corals, marine flora and fauna, it has no equal in the Northern Hemisphere. The powerful tourism boom that has swept the Egyptian Red Sea coast in recent years is largely due to the unique and incredibly rich underwater world of this tropical sea closest to Europe, and the popularization of scuba diving.

The coral reefs stretching along the entire Egyptian coast are a kind of life center that attracts many fish. The variety of coral shapes is amazing, which can be round, flat, branched, and also have other fantastic shapes and colors - from soft yellow and pink to brown and blue. But only living corals retain color; after death, they lose their soft covering tissue and only a white calcium skeleton remains. According to Egyptian law, coral colonies cannot be destroyed. Bottlenose dolphins, various species of striped dolphins and killer whales are widespread in the Red Sea. It is quite possible to meet a green turtle underwater. Amazing elongated echinoderms - sea cucumbers - live on the seabed.

Despite the fact that there are sharks in the Red Sea, it is not so easy to see them in the territorial waters of Egypt; they have chosen the coast of Sudan for themselves. Some ichthyologists and divers claim that sharks have a rather peaceful disposition and are extremely timid. When they see people, they try to retreat as quickly as possible.

Moray eels, adapted to life on reefs, can reach 3 meters in length and have a rather terrifying appearance. But, basically, if they are not teased, they are not dangerous to humans.

Here you can also find Napoleon fish, which got its name because of the characteristic protrusion on its head, which resembles the headdress of the French emperor. These fish are especially numerous at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula.

They are distinguished by their bright colors: angel fish and butterfly fish, clown fish and plumes.

The Sharm El Sheikh area is called a paradise for divers. The variety of diving routes and the richness of the underwater world attract a huge number of divers (both professionals and amateurs) from all over the world.

There are many diving spots along the entire coastline:

Temple / Ras Um Sid / Tower / Near and Far Coral Gardens / Shark Cove / Ras Nasrani / Straits of Tirana

It is also worth mentioning the most famous places in the area of ​​​​the town of Dahab, 90 kilometers from Sharm El Sheikh.

Canyon/Blue Hole

Along the coast of Ras Mohamed there are many places that offer the opportunity for extraordinary dives. For example, the wreck of a sunken ship, Beacon Rock, Small Rift, Mushroom, Ras Atar, Marsa Barek, Ras Ghazlani.

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that there are various types of underwater safaris.

Hummer Jeep Safari / Yacht Safari

For beginners and those wishing to make only one or a few dives, you must have the desire and contact one of the clubs. Dives are made in the presence of an instructor and to a shallow depth.

For those wishing to take a scuba diving course and receive an international certificate, there is the opportunity to take 3, 4 and 5-day courses.

Equipment and everything else will be selected for you at the club.

If, when thinking about a vacation, you imagine hot blue skies, golden sandy beaches and clear blue seas, if your imagination pictures exotic gardens and quaint palaces with ringing fountains and cool pools, your dreams will come true in Sharm el-Sheikh.

This white-stone resort town, which appears as if in a fairy tale at the foot of the majestic mountains on the shores of the Red Sea, is capable of enchanting any traveler. Here, in a picturesque place, in the very south of the Sinai Peninsula, the government of Egypt, a country of rapidly developing tourism, decided to create a resort city, surpassing all international recreation and entertainment centers in scope and wealth.

Investors from the USA, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel, who have joined the “Return to Sinai” program designed until 2000, are sparing no expense to build a kind of Riviera of the Middle East on the Red Sea, a resort that delights even the most demanding Europeans and the Arab sheikhs accustomed to the wealth. Literally before our eyes, Sharm el-Sheikh takes on the shape of a magical country, consisting of fashionable hotels and elegant villas, sparkling nightclubs and discos, luxurious restaurants and casinos, elegant shops and shopping centers. When Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak receives crowned heads, foreign heads of state or influential international politicians to whom he wants to show his country at its best, he invites them to his residence in Sharm el-Sheikh. The elite of the West and East come here to take a break from business and have fun. Walking along the streets of this extraordinary resort, you can meet the sheikhs of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the King of Jordan and the Prime Minister of Israel...

For them and thousands of other discerning guests from Italy and France, Switzerland and Austria and other countries of the world, hotels of the most famous hotel chains - Marriott, Movenpick, Intercontinental, Sofitel, Sonesta - hospitably opened their doors in Sharm el-Sheikh... And at the very in the near future they will be joined by Hyatt, Four Seasons, Oberoy, Sheraton, Grand Mercury and 25 more luxury hotels.

All hotels offered by the St. Petersburg travel companies TransBusiness Line and Avis, the first in Russia to open the route to Sharm el-Sheikh, belong to the highest category of hotels with all the indispensable attributes of modern comfort - from satellite television to tennis courts. But each of them has its own unique character and charm.

Luxury and comfort, refined and impeccable service await those who choose the 5-star Marriott de luxe hotel. Gourmets will be able to enjoy delicious dishes of European, Japanese and even Polynesian cuisine; lovers of active recreation will enjoy the magnificent sandy beach of Naama Bay and several outdoor pools.

Guests of the 5-star Intercontinental will be able to join the life of the international political elite, because this hotel is one of the official residences of the President of Egypt. The well-trained hotel staff demonstrates dazzling politeness and attentiveness; the receptionist service speaks all languages, including Russian. The attractions of this hotel include the Roman Pool, the only indoor seawater pool on the Red Sea, reminiscent of “Roman baths” with marble slabs and antique columns.

Guests of the Sonesta Hotel will feel like characters from the fairy tales “1001 Nights”. The architecture and interior decoration of this 5-star hotel is in a refined and decorative Moorish style, with colorful oriental rugs, patterned vaulted ceilings and shaded patios.

Guests of Pyramisa, a 5-star hotel and casino located right on the shore of a coral reserve, will be able to try all types of entertainment. This super hotel features 17 restaurants and bars, 25 shops, 2 tennis courts, the region's largest outdoor wave pool and an indoor heated pool.

French quality meets an oriental flair at the Sofitel, a 5-star hotel located on the picturesque shores of Naama Bay. Guests of this hotel will have to decide every day: which of the three beaches to go sunbathing, which of the three coral reefs to swim in, which of the restaurants to have lunch and dinner - oriental? Italian? or maybe Indian? The Sun Set Bar offers breathtaking views of the Red Sea and the Sinai Mountains.

The cozy family-run Kahamrana (4 stars) is located on the seashore, in the very center of Sharm el-Sheikh, next to the resort’s shopping center, with its sparkling windows of elegant shops and tiny shops selling gold, perfumes, and coral souvenirs.

The 3-star Hotel Aida is located a short walk from the beach and, were it not for this circumstance, it would have every right to be considered a higher category hotel. All Aida rooms meet international 4-star standards.

The main charm of Sharm el-Sheikh is the cleanest and most transparent Red Sea in the world. Most of the resort's hotels are located on the shores of cozy, quiet bays - the gateway to the mysterious world of the underwater kingdom, where the most exotic varieties of tropical fish sparkle with bright colors and precious pink, blue and fiery yellow corals shimmer in thousands of shades.

The coastal waters of the Red Sea are a real paradise for lovers of scuba diving and photography. 25 km from Sharm el-Sheikh is Ras Mohammed, Egypt's famous marine national park and the world capital of scuba divers. The unique underwater world of the reserve makes a huge impression even on experienced travelers, not to mention people who encounter this beauty for the first time. Anyone can master the art of diving in Sharm el-Sheikh - there are scuba diving schools in almost every hotel. Beginner divers are advised to remember a few rules of behavior in the Red Sea: you should not break corals, catch reef fish, it is not recommended to step on sea urchins and you should not attract the attention of beautiful, but very dangerous inhabitants of the deep sea.

The Sinai Peninsula is a place sacred to believers. One of the key plots of the Old Testament is connected with Mount Sinai - it was here that God handed Moses the tablets with the Ten Commandments and endowed him with the ability to perform miracles. At the foot of the mountain, on the site of the “burning bush” phenomenon, the monastery of St. Catherine was founded in the 9th century - now the most important center of religious tourism. This oldest monastery in the Christian world, which looks like an impregnable fortress, houses collections of icons and valuable manuscripts.

From Sharm el-Sheikh to Cairo - about 500 km. But is it really possible to leave Egypt without seeing either the sphinxes or the pyramids? A two-day trip from Sharm el-Sheikh to Cairo includes accommodation in a 5-star hotel and an introduction to the main attractions of the Egyptian capital. The largest city in Africa and the Middle East, Cairo is a colorful mixture of the Arab East and an international business center. The high walls and towers of the medieval Arab fortress - the Citadel - are reminiscent of the times of the conquest of Egypt by the Saracens.

Decorated with delicate openwork minarets and decorated with colored marble, the Mohammed Ali Mosque is considered a miracle of oriental architecture and one of the most famous buildings in Cairo. In the very center of the city, on al-Tahir Square, there is the Mecca of all travelers - the National Egyptian Museum, whose collections represent the entire history of the Ancient Kingdom. Masterpieces of ancient Egyptian sculpture and fabulous treasures of the pharaohs are kept here. Even for a person far from Egyptology, a visit to this museum remains in the memory for a lifetime. On the outskirts of Cairo, in the Giza Valley, rise three Great Pyramids - Cheops, Khafre and Mikerin - the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World that has survived to this day. A little further away is the Great Sphinx, a 70-meter statue of a lion with a human head. The origin and purpose of these gigantic monuments are shrouded in mystery and give rise to many of the most fantastic theories.

Unique monuments of Egyptian civilization will be seen by those who go on a one-day excursion to Luxor. Twenty centuries ago, on the site of the modern city, temples and palaces of the legendary Thebes, the ancient capital of the pharaohs, rose. The grandiose ensembles of the Luxor and Karnak temples testify to the former splendor of the Egyptian empire. The scale with which the pharaohs built is clearly visible in the example of the miraculously preserved temple of Amun.

Experts say that it could easily accommodate the entire Notre Dame of Paris or occupy half the area of ​​Manhattan. Crossing the wide, muddy Nile leads to the Valley of the Kings - the place where the mummies of the pharaohs were buried three thousand years ago. It was here that the most sensational archaeological discovery of the 20th century was made - the tomb of Tutankhamun was discovered.

A great opportunity to better understand the flavor of life in the East is to take a trip to a Bedouin village or go on a trip through the desert in a jeep. One of the most exciting routes is an excursion to the Colored Canyon... And all this - under a dazzling blue sky and the gentle warm sun that always shines over the Sinai Peninsula!

When asked what kind of sea is in Egypt, experienced tourists answer that it is warm and gentle. But from a geographical point of view, there are two of them - Mediterranean and Red. Holidays on the coast of each of them have their own advantages.

Resorts on the Mediterranean coast

The most comfortable period in terms of holidays in Egyptian cities washed by the Mediterranean Sea is from April to October. In the winter months it can be quite cold there, for example, in January or February the average daily temperature does not rise above +18°C, and the water is also not suitable for swimming. Although, this is a relatively good period for sightseeing trips.

As for the holiday season, the air temperature ranges from +25°C to +33°C. August is the hottest month. But it is worth noting that the Mediterranean climate allows you to feel comfortable even at high temperatures.

One of the most popular cities among tourists on the Mediterranean Sea is Alexandria. The tourism sector in the city is very well developed - there are many beaches with clean sand and clear water. This city is the second largest in Egypt, so you can not only bask in the sun, but also enjoy a rich excursion program. It is believed that Alexandria is a city of active and noisy leisure.

Another option is the city of Marsa Matruh. It is less popular among tourists, therefore it is quieter and calmer. But in terms of quality level of service it is in no way inferior to Alexandria.

Popular entertainments include:

• fishing on a yacht;
• boat trips.

Red Sea in Egypt

What other sea washes Egypt besides the Mediterranean? Red. This is one of the most beautiful places in the world and you can relax on its coast all year round. There is, of course, a division into “off-season” and “season”, but it is very conditional.

Due to high temperatures in June, July and August, tourists have to spend less time on the beach, but the water temperature in the sea is always a comfortable +26°C. Fans call this place a paradise and claim that the beauty of such an underwater world is mesmerizing and leaves no one indifferent.