The reefs off Hurghada are the reason the town became a resort, and they deliver: warm water (rarely below about twenty-two degrees Celsius even in winter), visibility often measured in tens of metres, and a wall of colour just under the surface. A short boat ride reaches a string of offshore reefs and islands, with named sites like Umm Gamar, Shaab El Erg (where you have a real chance of swimming near wild dolphins), and Abu Nuhas, a reef ringed by old shipwrecks that draws divers from around the world. You will see hard and soft corals, clouds of anthias and butterflyfish, moray eels, lionfish, pufferfish, and often turtles. It is one of the best places anywhere to learn: PADI and SSI dive centres are everywhere, the water is calm and forgiving, and a beginner's discover-scuba session or a full open-water course costs a fraction of Mediterranean or Caribbean prices. Snorkellers get almost as much, since the coral starts close to the surface.
Plan your trip with Seen