03Cities and regions
South Sinai
Sharm El Sheikh and Dahab
At the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, red mountains meet some of the clearest water in the Red Sea. Sharm El Sheikh is a city of resorts and conferences with about 77,000 inhabitants, and 12 km away lies Ras Muhammad National Park, protected since 1983 and covering 480 km², 345 of them at sea. Its reefs hold more than 220 kinds of coral, along with turtles and brilliant angelfish. About 80 km to the north, Dahab is a laid-back town known as the diving capital of South Sinai and famous for windsurfing. Nearby is the Blue Hole, a marine sinkhole more than 100 m deep. Inland, among the peaks, rises Mount Sinai, 2,285 m; organised groups set off after midnight to reach the summit for sunrise, on foot or partly by camel, and the steeper route climbs 3,750 stone steps. At its foot stands Saint Catherine's Monastery, built between 548 and 565 and part of the Saint Catherine Area, a World Heritage Site since 2002. Bring warm clothes for the summit: mountain nights are cold.
- 0 km²
- Area of Ras Muhammad National Park
- over 220
- Coral species at Ras Muhammad
- about 80 km
- Sharm El Sheikh to Dahab
- 0 m
- Height of Mount Sinai
Highlights
- The Blue HoleA deep marine sinkhole near Dahab, one of the most dangerous dive sites in the world: stay within your training.
- Saint Catherine's MonasteryA 6th-century building at the foot of Mount Sinai, whose compound also includes a Fatimid mosque from 1106.