Bucket list experience:
Ras Mohammed National Park, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
This national park, set on the tip of the Sinai peninsular, protects one of the world’s greatest marine ecosystems – a coral reef, just offshore – that’s home to more than 1,000 species of fish, and 200 species of coral. There’s world-class diving, from shark reefs to wrecks, and, with most of the reef close to the shore and just below the surface, world-class snorkelling too. Visibility is excellent – regularly 30m.
Night dives are also possible here, with the possibility of seeing octopus, cuttlefish and the other crawlers of the deep. If you’ve never done one – it’s an entirely different experience.
For serious divers, there are world-class dive sites beyond Ras Mohammed, accessible by 2- or 3-day live-aboards. Check out Big Brothers, Elphinstone Reef, and Jackson Reef.
40km from Ras Mohammed is the wreck of the SS Thistlegorm, one of the world’s greatest wreck dives.
First spotted by Jacques Cousteau, she was sunk in 1941. Her cargo holds are easily visible with BSA motorbikes, deck guns, Lee Enfield rifles, army boots and unexploded shells.
Most big hotels, agencies and dive centres in Sharm el Sheikh offer day-trips to the park (about an hour’s drive, or accessed directly by boat). If self-driving, you can walk from the car park down to the reef.
There are six autonomous areas to explore, each offering different dives and ecosystems. There are no facilities inside the national park, so take with you – and take away – any food and drink that you might need. If you’re snorkelling, remember to wear sunblock or a T-shirt; it’s easy to get sunburnt.
Diving and snorkelling are available all year round, seven days a week, on request.
Visit between September and March, ideally. The light is better at this time of year and outside temperatures are lower. Spring (March-May) sees winds that can whip up the sea, reducing visibility. July and August are blisteringly hot.
Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity
Sharm el Sheikh
€25 | Rating 4.38 / 5 [134 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Sharm el Sheikh
$26 | Rating 4.83 / 5 [12 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Sharm el Sheikh
£27 | Rating 4.36 / 5 [30 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Sharm el Sheikh
$30 | Rating 4.62 / 5 [8 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
