One of the best dive sites in the area, Ras Um Sid features a spectacular gorgonian forest along a dramatic drop-off that hosts a great variety of reef fish. It's opposite Hotel Royal Paradise. Depth: 15m to 40m. Rating: intermediate. Access: shore or boat.
© Pascal Vosicki/Shutterstock
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
9.19 MILES
The waters surrounding this peninsula, 20km west of Sharm El Sheikh, are home to spectacular coral reefs, including the world-famous Shark and Jolanda…
11.74 MILES
The smallest, but easily the most spectacular, of the Tiran reefs, Thomas is home to steeply plunging walls that are lined with soft coral, schooling fish…
13.84 MILES
The Dunraven sank in 1876 on its way from Bombay to Newcastle. Today the wreck, found at the southeast tip of Sha’ab Mahmud, is encrusted in coral and…
11.98 MILES
This two-for-one special off the southern tip of Ras Mohammed is among the most famous dives in the Red Sea and rated one of the top five dives in the…
19.91 MILES
Thirty-five kilometres north of Sharm El Sheikh, Nabq is the largest coastal protectorate on the Gulf of Aqaba. Named after an oasis that lies within its…
4.85 MILES
At the perennially popular Gardens there are actually three sites in one. Near Garden is home to a lovely chain of pinnacles; Middle Garden features a…
1.71 MILES
A good choice for a drift dive, this dive site gets its name from an Ottoman shipwreck found here which was carrying a cargo of amphoras. Not much remains…
1.87 MILES
Designed by Fouad Tawfik, Sharm El Sheikh's new mosque fuses Fatimid, Mamluk and Ottoman style elements into its architecture and interior design. Whether…
Nearby Sharm El Sheikh attractions
1.68 MILES
Definitely not one of Sharm's prettier swaths of sand. Note that women swimming here in bikinis or other revealing attire are likely to feel uncomfortable.
1.71 MILES
A good choice for a drift dive, this dive site gets its name from an Ottoman shipwreck found here which was carrying a cargo of amphoras. Not much remains…
1.75 MILES
Mostly used as a drift dive, with coral pinnacles at the southern end and salad corals to the north. Depth: 9m to 24m. Rating: intermediate. Access: shore…
1.87 MILES
Designed by Fouad Tawfik, Sharm El Sheikh's new mosque fuses Fatimid, Mamluk and Ottoman style elements into its architecture and interior design. Whether…
2.61 MILES
The wide canyon here houses coral-covered pinnacles where you'll spot plenty of nudibranchs and flitting lionfish. This dive site is also known for chance…
4.56 MILES
Near Garden reef is home to a lovely chain of pinnacles. Depth: surface to more than 40m. Rating: intermediate. Access: shore or boat.
4.85 MILES
At the perennially popular Gardens there are actually three sites in one. Near Garden is home to a lovely chain of pinnacles; Middle Garden features a…
4.96 MILES
Middle Garden reef features a fringing ridge that gently slopes down to a bed of sandy 'trails'. Depth: surface to more than 40m. Rating: intermediate…