Best Beaches in Egypt (2026): Red Sea, Sinai and Med, Ranked

Quick answer: The best beach in Egypt is Sharm El Luli, in Wadi El Gemal National Park on the southern Red Sea coast near Marsa Alam, for its clear water and green turtles feeding over the coral gardens. For snorkelling straight off the sand, Abu Dabbab is the easiest pick on the same coast. The closest beach to Cairo is Ain Sokhna, 132 km away (Cairo Governorate): under an hour door to door from east Cairo, longer from the west side (Egyptian Tourism Authority).

Compiled 17 October 2026; table rows give the source year where the source is older. Dollar figures are approximate, at about 52 EGP to the dollar.

Egypt's best beaches ranked (compiled 17 October 2026)

Fees change, so confirm on the day.

Best beach in Egypt for you

• Families with small children: Orange Bay (#5), for its long knee-deep flat.
• Snorkelling from the sand: Abu Dabbab (#2), with Sharm El Luli (#1) close behind.
• The richest reefs: Ras Mohammed (#3), best by boat.
• Couples and a quiet resort: Sahl Hasheesh (#8).
• A lively town base: Naama Bay (#9), with Ras Um Sid nearby for shore snorkelling.
• Summer sand on the Mediterranean: Agiba (#7) or a North Coast resort.

Red Sea, Sinai or Mediterranean: which coast suits you

The Red Sea mainland (Hurghada to Marsa Alam) is for coral, turtles and resort beaches; the further south, the emptier.

South Sinai gives you Ras Mohammed, a busy town in Sharm and a slower pace in Dahab and Nuweiba.

The Mediterranean North Coast (Sahel) is white sand in summer, mostly owned by resorts, running west from Alexandria toward Marsa Matrouh.

1. Sharm El Luli, Marsa Alam

Best for: clear, unspoiled water and green turtles a few strokes from the sand.

Sharm El Luli sits inside Wadi El Gemal National Park, declared in 2003 (Environmental Affairs Agency). Marine biologists quoted by AFP call its reef one of the region's most climate-resilient, with green turtles grazing the coral gardens.

What changed in 2025. AFP (via eNCA, August 2025) reported that excavators arrived in March 2025 and work stopped after the environment ministry objected. The beach now has a gate (marked Ras Hankorab) and a ticket; AFP put entry at 300 EGP (about US$5.80), five times the old price. Management has moved to a government fund, per Reuters.

Getting there. Reuters puts it about 90 minutes from Marsa Alam airport and four hours from Hurghada, so stay in Marsa Alam. Cairo360 (July 2026) advises arriving early with water and reef-safe sunscreen. Or take a Sharm El Luli snorkelling trip from Marsa Alam and read our Marsa Alam travel guide.

2. Abu Dabbab, Marsa Alam

Best for: easy snorkelling from shore, with a real chance of turtles.

"Abu Dabbab" is the local name for the dugong (Egyptian Tourism Authority). Egyptian Streets (June 2026) describes a sandy bay fringed by coral, where dugongs graze the seagrass and snorkellers meet sea turtles; treat a dugong as a bonus. Cairo360 (July 2026) notes more facilities than the Wadi El Gemal beaches and day-trip crowds, so arrive early. We could not confirm a current entry fee. Book a half-day Abu Dabbab snorkelling trip from Marsa Alam, or read things to do in Marsa Alam.

3. Ras Mohammed National Park, Sharm El Sheikh

Best for: the richest reefs on a day trip.

Ras Mohammed was Egypt's first protected area (1983), about 12 km from Sharm El Sheikh, with more than 220 coral species and over 1,000 fish species (Al-Ahram, September 2025).

Fees. Entry is US$5 per foreign visitor per day (Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, checked 11 October 2026); the rate dates from a 2019 decision, which set EGP 25 for Egyptians (Youm7). Electronic ticketing is being rolled out (Al-Ahram, September 2025).

Getting there. Go by road or boat (Egyptian Tourism Authority); a boat adds White Island, a low-tide sandbar. See our Ras Mohammed visitor page, or book the Ras Mohammed and White Island yacht trip or the Ras Mohammed trip by road.

4. Mahmya, Giftun Island, Hurghada

Best for: a calm, low-impact island day.

Mahmya is a day-use beach on Giftun Island off Hurghada. Egypt Independent reported at its opening (2010) that it has no concrete buildings and nobody stays overnight.

Price. Mahmya's published day-use price, read 17 October 2026, was EUR 38 per adult and EUR 19 per child (about US$44 and US$22, approximate, converted from euros). Payment is in Egyptian pounds at the day's rate; we can confirm the current price on WhatsApp. Or book a full-day snorkelling cruise to Mahmya.

Park fee. Giftun lies in the Red Sea's Northern Islands protected area, which the 2019 decision set at US$5 per foreign visitor (Youm7); a planned rise has been postponed, so ask whether your trip price includes the park fee.

5. Orange Bay, Giftun Island, Hurghada

Best for: families and a classic Hurghada beach-and-boat day.

When Cairo360 reviewed Orange Bay (October 2011), the boat took under 40 minutes from Hurghada and the water stayed knee-deep for almost a kilometre, which is why it suits small children. It is an old review, so check what your trip includes.

See our Orange Bay visitor page, or book the Orange Bay island trip with snorkelling and lunch. There is also an Orange Bay trip with pickup from Makadi, Sahl Hasheesh and Soma Bay; more in Hurghada excursions.

6. Blue Lagoon, Ras Abu Galum, north of Dahab

Best for: kitesurfing and a calm, remote swim.

Unlike the Blue Lagoon at Ras Sedr, Dahab's lies about 10 km beyond Ras Abu Galum, which is about 15 km north of Dahab, cut off from the Gulf of Aqaba by a thin strip of rock and sand (Egyptian Streets, May 2023). The Egyptian Tourism Authority calls it a global kitesurfing spot.

Getting there. Take a 15-minute speedboat from the Blue Hole, a camel, or a two-hour walk to Ras Abu Galum, then continue on foot or by pickup. Abu Galum charges US$5 per foreign visitor under the 2019 fee decision (Youm7). UK travel advice (updated 4 August 2026) excepts the coastal areas along the east and west of South Sinai, which include the Dahab and Abu Galum coast, from its warning for northern South Sinai. A jeep day from Sharm gets you as far as the Blue Hole.

7. Agiba Beach, Marsa Matrouh

Best for: dramatic clifftop views and a turquoise cove in summer.

Agiba means "miracle": a U-shaped cove between high cliffs with turquoise water below, west of Marsa Matrouh, past El-Obayed beach (Ahram Online, 2016). Ahram reported no entry fee then; we could not confirm 2026. Marsa Matrouh is 439 km from Cairo (Cairo Governorate), about five hours by car (Ahram Online, 2016).

Before you go. Egypt Independent (September 2024) reported swimming bans at Agiba in high waves; if the flag is red, enjoy the view from the top. Agiba also lies outside the coastal stretch the UK FCDO exempts from its Western Desert warning (updated 4 August 2026), which can affect your insurance; check your own government's advice.

8. Sahl Hasheesh, south of Hurghada

Best for: couples after a long, quiet beach.

Egyptian Streets (2014, first published 2013) described a planned resort town about 18 km south of Hurghada airport, with a 12.5 km beach, a pier of about 489 m and a snorkel site near it known as the Sunken City.

9. Naama Bay, Sharm El Sheikh

Best for: restaurants and a town base for boat days.

Naama Bay sits next to the marina, with many bars and restaurants right on the beach (Cairo360, 2014). In 2015 the head of Sharm El Sheikh named it one of the city's two public beaches (Egypt Independent); we found no newer confirmation. For boat days, see the Tiran Island snorkelling cruise and Sharm El Sheikh excursions.

10. Almaza Bay, North Coast

Best for: a luxury Mediterranean summer stay.

The Egyptian Tourism Authority lists Almaza Bay among the North Coast areas with five-star and boutique hotels, and notes that most North Coast beaches are open to residents, hotel guests or renters only, so book a stay, early for summer.

11. Makadi Bay, south of Hurghada

Best for: a resort-hotel base for Hurghada's boat trips.

Egyptian Streets (June 2026) says Makadi Bay, just south of Hurghada, gives direct shore access to some of the region's best house reefs. Treat it as a hotel base; see things to do in Hurghada.

Also worth knowing

• Ras Um Sid, Sharm El Sheikh: on the Hadaba peninsula, its reefs are reachable directly from the beach (Egyptian Streets, June 2026).
• Soma Bay, south of Hurghada: the Egyptian Tourism Authority bills it as a wellness hub on the Red Sea, and Egypt Independent (2015) named it among the coast's kitesurfing training spots.
• Nuweiba, north of Dahab: a coast of camps and small hotels with straw huts on the sand and Bedouin hosts, per the Egyptian Tourism Authority.

Closest beach to Cairo: Ain Sokhna

Ain Sokhna is Cairo's weekend beach, 132 km from Cairo by the Cairo Governorate's distance table. The Egyptian Tourism Authority puts it under an hour door to door from east Cairo and a bit longer from the west side, and sells it for family beaches, kitesurfing and dolphins, not reefs; for coral, head to Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh or Marsa Alam.

Most visitors stay in private holiday homes, so for a day trip try a hotel day use: an Ain Sokhna day use at a five-star hotel from Cairo, or a Red Sea day trip to Ain Sokhna with lunch.

The North Coast in summer

The North Coast peaks in July and August, and before noon you will likely have the beach to yourself (Egyptian Tourism Authority). Most beaches are private, so book a hotel or rental early.

Best time for Egypt's beaches

Red Sea and Sinai: see our best time to snorkel the Red Sea, month by month.

Mediterranean: go in summer; the Egyptian Tourism Authority advises visiting Marsa Matrouh in the hottest months, when most businesses are open.

Plan it with us

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