Marsa Alam itinerary

1. 1

   Sataya Dolphin Reef - Spinner dolphin lagoon

   Sataya Reef forms a horseshoe-shaped lagoon roughly 11 km offshore from Hamata harbour, sheltering one of the most reliable resident pods of spinner dolphins in the Red Sea - typically 60-200 individuals visible across…

   Address

   Sataya Reef, offshore from Hamata Harbour, Red Sea Governorate 84512, Egypt

   Nearest transit

   Operator hotel pickup at 5:30 AM by minibus, then 90-min boat from Hamata harbour - no public option

2. 2

   Wadi El Gemal National Park - Mountains, mangroves and Bishari heritage

   Wadi El Gemal protects 7,450 square kilometres of land and sea south of Marsa Alam, making it Egypt's second-largest protected area and one of the most important for the Eastern Desert ecosystem. The reserve covers…

   Address

   Wadi El Gemal National Park entrance, off Marsa Alam-Berenice Highway, Red Sea Governorate 84511, Egypt

   Nearest transit

   Rental 4WD or operator pickup; no public bus serves the park interior

3. 3

   Abu Dabbab Bay - Snorkel with dugongs and turtles

   Abu Dabbab is the most reliable place in Egypt to spot a wild dugong - the rare sea cow that grazes on the seagrass beds covering the bay floor. Two males and one female frequent the lagoon, joined by 30-50 green…

   Address

   Abu Dabbab Bay, Marsa Alam-Quseir Highway, Red Sea Governorate 84511, Egypt

   Nearest transit

   Rental car or hotel transfer 30-40 min from central Marsa Alam; no scheduled bus

4. 4

   Elphinstone Reef - Pelagic dive site

   Elphinstone Reef sits 12 km offshore from Marsa Abu Dabbab, a 300-metre-long table reef rising from the abyss with walls dropping past 100 metres. The site is famous for oceanic whitetip shark encounters between October…

   Address

   Elphinstone Reef, offshore from Marsa Abu Dabbab, Red Sea Governorate 84511, Egypt

   Nearest transit

   Boat from Marsa Alam jetties (50-70 min depending on weather); operator pickup from hotels

5. 5

   Sharm El Luli - Caribbean-blue lagoon beach

   Sharm El Luli (sometimes called Ras Hankorab) is the most photographed beach south of Marsa Alam - 1.2 km of fine white sand and a turquoise lagoon held in by a long fringing reef. The shallow inner lagoon stays under 2…

   Address

   Sharm El Luli (Ras Hankorab), Wadi El Gemal area, Red Sea Governorate 84511, Egypt

   Nearest transit

   Rental car or hotel-arranged taxi (around 800 EGP round trip from Marsa Alam town); no public option

6. 6

   Port Ghalib - Marina, restaurants and the airport gateway

   Port Ghalib serves as the practical hub for Marsa Alam International Airport (HRG-MUH 8 km south) and gathers the area's hotels, restaurants and shops in one walkable marina precinct. The 1 km promenade rings a…

   Address

   Port Ghalib Marina, Marsa Alam-Quseir Highway, Red Sea Governorate 84511, Egypt

   Nearest transit

   Microbus from Marsa Alam town centre (30 min, 25 EGP); 8 km from Marsa Alam International Airport

7. 7

   Marsa Mubarak - Reliable green turtle bay

   Marsa Mubarak is a small horseshoe bay 25 km north of Marsa Alam town that almost always delivers green turtle sightings within 100 metres of shore. Seagrass meadows hold a population of 8-12 resident turtles and an…

   Address

   Marsa Mubarak Bay, Marsa Alam-Quseir Highway, Red Sea Governorate 84511, Egypt

   Nearest transit

   Rental car or hotel transfer 25-30 min from central Marsa Alam; no scheduled bus

8. 8

   Hamata Islands - Untouched archipelago snorkel

   The Hamata Islands form a 14 km string of small uninhabited islands south of Hamata harbour - Wadi Lahmi, Mahabis, Showarit, Siyul. Day-boat trips usually visit two or three islands with stops for snorkelling on patch…

   Address

   Hamata Islands, off Hamata Harbour, Red Sea Governorate 84512, Egypt

   Nearest transit

   Operator hotel pickup at 6 AM by minibus then boat from Hamata harbour - 130 km drive

9. 9

   Dolphin House (Samadai Reef) - Protected spinner dolphin sanctuary

   Samadai Reef, known locally as Dolphin House, sits 7 km offshore from Marsa Alam town and shelters a resident pod of around 100-200 spinner dolphins. After overcrowding in the early 2000s, Egyptian authorities split the…

   Address

   Samadai Reef, offshore from Marsa Alam town, Red Sea Governorate 84511, Egypt

   Nearest transit

   Operator hotel pickup at 5:30 AM (morning) or 10 AM (afternoon) then boat from Marsa Alam jetty - 30 min crossing

10. 10

    Emerald Mines (Mons Smaragdus) - Roman gem-mining ghost town

    The ancient Mons Smaragdus mining district sits 35-50 km inland in the Eastern Desert and supplied the Roman Empire with the world's only known emerald source from the 1st century BCE through the 6th century CE. Three…

    Address

    Sikait Emerald Mines, Wadi Sikait, Eastern Desert, Red Sea Governorate 84511, Egypt

    Nearest transit

    Permitted 4WD operator only; no public access - tour operator pickup from hotel

From the trip1 travel guide “10 Top Things to Do in Marsa Alam, Egypt” · trip1.com