The 8 best beaches in Egypt

The lure of the Pyramids of Giza, the Valley of Kings and the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum draws travelers to Egypt in droves. But that’s just the beginning of the travel experience in this land of desert dunes, coral seas and timeless bazaars. 

Away from the hieroglyph-covered ruins lie palm-fringed oases, dramatic national parks and some of the best beaches in North Africa. After days in the desert, most travelers can’t wait to kick off their shoes, dig their toes into the soft sand and unwind beside diamond-clear waters packed with a kaleidoscopic collection of marine life. 

Perhaps the most remarkable feature of Egypt’s beaches is the way the sun-scorched desert sands suddenly give way to bottle-blue lagoons and thriving coral reefs that burst into vivid color the moment you don a mask and snorkel. Not for nothing is Egypt regarded as one of the top places in the world to scuba dive and snorkel.

While untouched stretches of sand remain, Egypt makes the most of its stunning coastline. Along the shores of the Red Sea and Mediterranean, beaches are backed by seafood restaurants, waterfront spas, dive centers and swish resorts that serve up a brochure-perfect vision of sun, sea and sand dunes. 

Discover the best places to spread out your towel with this guide to the best beaches in Egypt.

1. Almaza Bay, Marsa Matruh

Best beach for luxury

Egypt’s North Coast seafront, fringing the Mediterranean to the west of Alexandria, is home to some of the country’s most beloved beaches. Indeed, from June to September, it can seem as if half of the Nile Valley has decamped here for their holidays. But there are some idyllic escapes here, and Almaza Bay is one of the finest. 

About 38km east of Marsa Matruh, this tucked-away cove is synonymous with luxury, and its golden sands are backed by an honor guard of 5-star resort hotels and high-end eateries. Still, Almaza Bay manages to feel calm and secluded thanks to its long, wide beach. 

Stay at a beachside resort and you’ll wake to an undisturbed view of sparkling white sand backed by gentle Mediterranean breakers. If you tire of just looking at the sea, the bay is perfect for swimming, and resort water-sport centers can get you kitesurfing, paddleboarding or kayaking over its cerulean surface.

On land, Almaza Bay has a touch of Saint-Tropez glam. Upscale meals and cool cocktails are served by hip waterside nightspots such as Pier 88, while clubs and bars attract top international DJ talent during the busy summer months.

Planning tip: Almaza Bay is not just for couples; most resorts offer kids’ camps or clubs to keep small sun-seekers busy while the grown-ups relax on the sand. 

2. Blue Lagoon, Dahab

Best beach for water sports

Sitting pretty on the east coast of the Sinai Peninsula, Dahab was Egypt’s original backpacker resort, and while the penny-priced rooms are now just a memory, it retains an agreeably independent attitude and laid-back vibe. Reeled in by its mellow ambience, many travelers arrive planning to spend just a few nights – and end up staying for weeks. 

Best of all, you can mix swinging in a hammock under the beaming rays with deep immersion in the natural wonders of the surrounding Ras Abu Gallum Protectorate, including famous diving and snorkeling sites such as the Blue Hole – a legendary submarine sinkhole that plunges to 130m. 

Most beaches at Dahab have fine gravel rather than sugary sand, but the Blue Lagoon is a vision of turquoise perfection. Sheltered from the breakers by a hook-like tongue of sand, this sandy-bottomed inlet is the perfect spot for beginners to learn to windsurf and kitesurf, with shallow waters and winds that blow consistently from the north, especially during the warmer months.

Crystal-clear waters set against hazy purple mountains will make you feel like you’ve stepped into a postcard the moment your feet touch the sand. While a handful of surf schools offer tuition, this isn’t the best place for snorkeling or diving – there’s no coral and the waters aren’t deep enough for marine life to flourish. 

Planning tip: To get to the Blue Lagoon, you can take a boat from the Blue Hole, hike from Dahab or ride a camel through the mountains. Bring everything you need for the day – there’s nowhere to buy drinks or snacks, which only adds to the castaway mood. 

3. El Alamein, North Coast

Best beach for glamour

You've probably heard the name El Alamein in the context of WWII – this was the spot where the Allies won control of North Africa in 1942 – but that was almost a century ago. Today, the resort that has grown up along the beachfront at Al Alamein is on the rise – literally, with new skyscrapers soaring as part of the multi-billion-dollar New Alamein City project. 

Why come here? The beaches, silly! Gleaming white sands and clear Mediterranean waters trace the coastline, drawing hordes of local holiday-makers and international tourists. El Alamein is dotted with private beach compounds and fancy hotels, each taking a portion of the seemingly infinite shoreline. You’re bound to spot Cairo celebs and socialites out and about at weekends.

About 30km north of El Alamein, the beach perfection is dialed up to 11 at Sidi Abdel Rahman, home to some of the country's ritziest resorts. Here, visitors enjoy languorous days of sunbathing and water sports, interspersed with trips to spas and tennis courts set in landscaped gardens wrapped around man-made lagoons.

The luxurious facilities and fabulous beaches don’t come cheap, though: expect to pay upward of EGP 11,860 per night for a room with a sea view. The five-star Al Alamein Hotel is the area’s standout hotel, and sits on one of the best strips of beach. During the May to September peak season, you can expect to see a different DJ or performer every night in the area’s many restaurants, bars and clubs.

Planning tip: While beaches are the focus, it's worth dragging yourself away from the sand to view the battlefields where Field Marshals Rommel and Montgomery waged one of the pivotal campaigns of WWII. Be sure to visit the El Alamein Military Museum and the haunting Commonwealth War Cemetery, where 7240 victims of the conflict lie buried under orderly rows of grave markers.  

4. Naama Bay, Sharm El Sheikh

Best beach for families

Backed by jagged mountains and lapped by the sapphire waters of the Red Sea, the purpose-built resort town of Sharm El Sheikh stretches out like a lazy sunbather on a flat stretch of sand between crags and the coast. Sharm’s sprawling low-rise resorts lure families and the fly-and-flop crowd, making this a favorite winter warm-up spot for shivering Europeans.

Lazing on the beaches and diving (or snorkeling) among the remarkable coral reefs and wrecks offshore are the main activities here. Still, many visitors are happy to spend all their time cocooned away in a single resort, or visiting the seafront strip dotted with restaurants and bars. For the optimal mix of white sand, calm water and family-friendly fun, head to Naama Bay at the heart of Sharm El Sheikh.

Local dive schools are experienced at catering to families, with gentle snorkeling trips and “bubblemaker” courses for new divers, as well as more ambitious excursions for experienced divers. If you fall in the latter camp, dive operators run daily boat trips to the epic dive sites of Ras Mohammed National Park, including the wreck of the Yolanda, a Cypriot freighter that spilled its cargo of bathroom fittings across the ocean floor in 1980.  

Planning tip: The best time to visit Sharm El Sheikh is in the spring or autumn. The sun powers down on the Sinai in summer, and the heat and solar radiation can be unforgiving.

5. Fjord Bay, Taba

Best beach for escaping

Just 15km south of Taba at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba, picture-perfect Fjord Bay is a deep blue cove protected on three sides by a craggy mountain range. Many travelers know Taba as the setting for the overland border crossing between Egypt and Israel – but the scenic bay 11km south of the border post is a well-kept secret.  

Using Nuweiba, Taba or Taba Heights as a base, you can day-trip to Fjord Bay by chartered vehicle, or visit on an organized dive trip. The dive sites here are exceptional – dropping to 24m, the atmospheric Fjord Hole punches through the bottom of a rainbow-colored reef, attracting turtles, glassfish, groupers, barracuda and other marine life. The shallow reef known as Fjord Banana is good for beginners, while consistent winds lure windsurfers year-round. 

While the setting is stunning and the water warm, wear water shoes when entering the water to protect your feet and the coral. On land, you can hike into the surrounding mountains for gorgeous views over the bay, or head up to Castle Zaman, a replica medieval castle built on a hilltop, with a pool, bar and slow-food restaurant. 

Planning tip: Offshore from Taba, Pharaoh’s Island is home to the much-restored Salah El-Din Castle, a Crusader-era fort expanded by Saladin, the first sultan of Egypt, in the 12th century. Boat trips run to the island from the marina in Taba. 

6. Mahmya Island, Hurghada

Best beach for snorkeling and spotting dolphins

The Red Sea resort of Hurghada is studded with holiday resorts and tourist-oriented attractions, including Egypt’s best aquarium. But you don't have to travel far offshore to find a calmer escape. Just 40 minutes by boat from Hurghada, and protected as part of a small marine national park, the Giftun Islands are an idyllic destination for a day trip.  

At the south end of the main island, Mahmya Island is an enticing ecotourism escape. Day trippers can enjoy the fine sandy beach, stay for lunch at the island restaurant, and add on snorkeling trips to nearby reefs. Plenty of other water sports can be arranged on arrival, and many visitors stay until sunset for the views.  

Visitor numbers are carefully controlled, which adds to the relaxing mood. While the snorkeling is excellent (and suitable for kids), the highlight is catching sight of the pods of spinner and bottlenose dolphins that frequent the surrounding waters.

Planning tip: Day trips can be arranged through hotels or directly through the operators of Mahmya Island; boat transfers run from the Mahmya Island Marina, south of central Hurghada.    

7. Al Nayzak, Marsa Alam

Best beach for swimming and rocky beauty

Southeast of Luxor on the Red Sea coast, Marsa Alam has long lured in-the-know divers with the promise of some of Egypt’s best scuba excursions. Visitors can kick back away from the bustle in relaxing dive resorts, day-trip to Sataya Reef to see dolphins, or explore the beaches, mangroves and coral reefs of Wadi Gimal National Park (Wadi El Gemal), which protects 4770 sq km on land and 2100 sq km of the surrounding Red Sea. 

For water-worshippers, one particularly memorable destination is Al Nayzak, a heavenly, eye-shaped pool that appears unexpectedly on a rocky shelf around 13km south of Marsa Alam. Most of the sand here lies at the bottom of the pool; still, day-trippers gather to swim and snorkel in this stunning natural swimming hole, which was reputedly formed by a meteorite strike. Afterward, you can bask on the rocks in front of the view.  

If you’re drawn by the diving, Marsa Shagra Village is a highly respected dive resort, offering appealing accommodation on land, and boat trips to dive sites such as shark-thronged Elphinstone Reef, Shaab Samadai (famous for dolphin encounters) and Abu Dabab, where turtles and dugongs can be spotted grazing the seagrass. 

Planning tip: Hotels in Marsa Alam can organize day trips to Al Nayzak. Tack on a visit to Sharm El Luli, a delightfully undeveloped sandy beach that’s also great for swimming and snorkeling. 

8. Alexandria’s private beaches 

Best for beach-club fun

The ancient city of Alexandria was once home to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world – the legendary Pharos lighthouse – as well as the greatest library in the world (until it was accidentally destroyed by fire during a siege by Julius Caesar). This gorgeous strip of coast also played a starring role for a succession of invading empires at various points in its long history. 

Today, visitors come for both the history and the sandy beaches, which are strung out along the Mediterranean shoreline and get very busy in summer. The city’s best sands are occupied by private beach clubs, which charge an entry fee and usually require modest beachwear. A good place to start is Mamoura Beach, a pretty strip near the Montazah Gardens, with a boardwalk and food stalls for snacks.

Other inviting private beaches include Greek Club Beach by the Greek Nautical Club, and Stanley Beach in the center, near the old Stanley Bridge. If you want a free-to-access beach, Miami Beach has a water slide and kids’ play area, but it can get very crowded. 

At the other end of the spectrum is Four Seasons Beach, offering a deluxe beachside experience on the fine stretch of sand in front of the lavish Four Seasons Hotel. A day pass gets you access to beach loungers and shady umbrellas, plus a towel and a cold box with chilled drinking water. 

Planning tip: Take a break from the beach to explore the Ottoman-era city, which spills inland from the restored Fort Qaitbey, built over the ruins of the old Pharos lighthouse. The streets of the Anfushi and Bahary neighborhoods are dotted with historic mosques and hole-in-the-wall food stops. 

This article was partially adapted from Lonely Planet’s Egypt guidebook, published in December 2025.