Sharm el-Sheikh is the kingdom of corals, so you should pay special attention to which beach awaits you at the chosen hotel. Often corals start right from the shore and guests are invited to swim from pontoons, and in some places it is impossible to enter the water without rubber slippers.
The beaches in the new areas of the resort (Hadaba, Sharks Bay, Nabq Bay) are more correctly called not sandy, but coral. This is a protected area, and even to build bridges over the corals for passage, hotels require many permits.
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In Naama Bay, the beaches are “conditionally sandy”: originally there were colonies of corals, but in some areas they were cut down for the delight of tourists, and there you can safely enter the water barefoot. Such areas are marked with buoys. Otherwise, swimming without slippers is far from possible everywhere – there is a risk of injuring yourself on the remains of colonies or stepping on prickly marine life.
In the Sharm El Maya area, full-fledged sandy beaches are the only ones in the resort. Their “cover” is fine golden sand, there are no corals here. Entry into the water is gentle, shallow water continues far enough. The beaches of Sharm El Maya are divided into 26 separate areas, each of which is run by a hotel. They are equipped with everything you need, including towers to watch for a possible visit of sharks. Several beaches have pontoons from which you can view marine life.
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The beaches of Sharks Bay are completely coral, entry into the water here is possible only from pontoons that go out into the sea beyond the reef line – in some cases the walkways are quite long. Snorkelling enthusiasts will love the clear water and abundance of underwater life, but families with children on the beaches of Sharks Bay will not be too comfortable – splashing in shallow water will not work. However, on the beaches of some hotels, special “splashers” for babies are cleared, marked with buoys.
In Nabq, sandy beaches upon entering the water, then after a few tens of meters a strip of corals begins. In contrast to Sharks Bay, this is great for the smallest tourists, who can splash for hours in the sandy shallow water, but is rather a disadvantage for adults – they have to go in slippers to a depth sufficient to avoid scratching their knees when swimming. Recall that strong winds often blow in Nabq and high and low tides are strongly pronounced.
The beaches of Hadaba are sandy and coral, the colonies begin near the coast. Shallow water is not always available for bathing babies: on some beaches, corals come close to the water’s edge. Adults swim here either at high tide directly from the shore (in rubber slippers), or at low tide from pontoons.
In Ras Umm el Sid, the depth begins almost immediately from the shore. They enter the sea in special shoes; You can swim with a mask and snorkel over the corals from the pontoons. The beaches here are quite narrow, so vacationers are accommodated on special decking terraces, from which you need to go down the stairs to the sea. Parts of the beaches at some hotels are cleared of corals for a comfortable bathing for children.
Read more about the features of the beaches in different areas of the resort on the page ” Beaches of Sharm el-Sheikh “.
Almost on all beaches in these areas, corals start almost from the very edge of the water and stretch for 15-30 m. This is inconvenient for children to swim, but it pleases lovers of underwater flora and fauna, observing outlandish coral fish and other wonders of the Red Sea right at home under your feet.
Diving in Sharm
Sharm el-Sheikh and diving are practically synonymous: the resort is known primarily as an ideal place for diving into the beauties of the Red Sea. You can swim with a mask and snorkel here absolutely everywhere, dive almost everywhere: there are 16 dive sites along the coast. Plus, for the amusement of enthusiastic divers in Sharm el-Sheikh, there are entire areas for diving, the most famous of them are the Ras Mohammed Marine Reserve and Tiran Island. Here are just a few of the underwater beauties of Sharm: common, fire and soft corals, massive porites and favits, hammerhead sharks, barracudas, anteaters, Napoleon wrasses, trevally and surgeon fish, manta rays, moray eels and crocodile fish. In addition, there are several interesting wrecks here: the ships “Dunraven” and “Thistlegorm” of 1876 and 1941 sinking respectively, a Turkish vessel with amphorae and another one with toilet bowls (no kidding!).
Those who want to dive right at the resort can recommend Sharks Bay, Nabq and Ras Umm el Sid. In Sharks Bay, each hotel has its own dive center, where they offer scuba diving directly from the shore or take you by boat to particularly remarkable reefs. Depth – about 20 m, visibility – also 20 m. Interesting night dives are carried out. In Nabq, you can dive from a pontoon (including a sunken ship – opposite the Calimera Royal Albatros Moderna hotel) or go to the nearest reserve of the same name, which is part of the famous Ras Mohammed. In Ras Umm el Sid, divers will be greeted by excellent 20-meter visibility, depths up to 20-25 m, large corals, rays, barracudas and small sharks.
Read more about the dive sites of the resort on the page ” Diving in Sharm el-Sheikh “.
