Hurghada / El Gouna / Soma Bay

Hurghada lies east of the Sinai Peninsula across the Red Sea tucked into the lower end of the Gulf of Suez on mainland Egypt, approximately 60 minutes flying time from Cairo. Originally a small fishing village it is now evolving into one of Egypt′s liveliest resorts with sandy beaches and ideal conditions for a variety of watersports. The sea is a diver′s paradise, an immense tropical aquarium home to exotic and rare corals, tropical fish and underwater gardens all celebrating marine life. The ‘Sekkala’ harbour offers a great mix of shops, restaurants and nightlife. El Gouna is a blossoming, vibrant, man-made resort town designed by award winning architects along 10 kilometres of scenic beachfront just north of Hurghada. The downtown area is lively with open air amphitheatres, shopping arcades, bazaars, cafes, restaurants and bars. South of Hurghada lies the peaceful resort of Soma Bay. It is situated on a peninsula surrounded by sparkling waters, soft sandy beaches and impressive desert scenery. This resort is home to an 18 hole USPGA championship golf course. Local cultural attractions throughout this area of the Red Sea include excursions and desert safaris to the ‘Monastery of St. Paul’, considered to be one of the oldest Christian monasteries housing a fine collection of manuscripts and wall paintings and the ‘Monastery of St. Anthony’ which is the largest Coptic monastery in Egypt housing the saint′s tomb, several churches, chapels and a small museum.

Our Thoughts

This area of Red Sea coastline is very much man-made and surrounded by desert. While the resorts of Hurghada itself and El Gouna feature nightlife, local restaurants and shopping, Soma Bay is very quiet, resort focused and is ideally for those who wish to stay within their chosen hotel and it′s facilities. All enjoy comparatively easy access to Luxor by road which makes this area an ideal second-centre beach destination after a Nile Cruise or sight-filled stay at Luxor.

Transfers

Journey time from the Hurghada International Airport are subject to prevailing traffic conditions averaging approximately 20 minutes to Hurghada hotels, 30 minutes to El Gouna hotels and 45 minutes to Soma Bay hotels.