03Cities and regions

Red Sea coast

Hurghada

Once a small fishing village, Hurghada is now the largest city and capital of the Red Sea Governorate, a resort strip running almost 40 km between the sea and the Red Sea Mountains. The old centre is the El Dahar district, with big hotels on sandy beaches to the north and south. Its airport, about 5 km south-west of the centre, is Egypt's second busiest after Cairo, and the city is one of the most visited in the country. Off the coast lie the islands of Giftun, Umm Qamar, Magawish and others, and the boat trip to Giftun is the classic outing: white sand, shallow turquoise water and coral reefs whose bright fish you can see with just a mask and snorkel. The wider resort area takes in El Gouna, Sahl Hasheesh, Soma Bay and Makadi Bay. The reefs here are fragile and have shrunk by about half in three decades as tourism spread along the coast, so never stand on coral or touch it.

about 40 km

Length of the city along the coast

second after Cairo

Rank of its airport in Egypt