Sharm el-Sheikh

Diving possibilities:
Cost indication:
Guide mandatory:	yes
Country:	Egypt
Sea:	Red Sea

Foto by: La Marga
You can go Scuba Diving in the north of Egypt all year round. Between May and September is the best time. With an average temperature of 35ºC (95ºF) it can get hot. At sea the strong winds can make things cool. In winter the average temperature on land is 20ºC (68ºF). At sea it can get cold and windy. The high-season for bookings runs from October to April.

Bustling and touristy town close to famous dive spots

Sharm el-Sheikh is one of the most popular and busiest dive destinations in the world. The underwater park, Ras Mohammed, is literally a stone’s throw from the shore.

About Sharm el-Sheikh
Tourism has flourished in Sharm el-Sheikh for decades. This town at the mouth of the Gulf of Akaba is one of the most developed and accessible holiday destinations in the Red Sea. It has everything, including shopping malls and casinos. With regards to nightlife there are international restaurants, bars, pubs and nightclubs. Accommodation varies from small, simple hotels close to the harbour to all-inclusive resorts and luxury 5-star hotels. Souvenir hawkers abound, which can become quite irritating at times. Sharm el-Sheikh has an airport to which many charters fly directly.

Diving Sharm el-Sheikh
Sharm el-Sheikh provides access to an abundance of beautiful and famous dives spots. Many divers regard the underwater park, Ras Mohammed, and the shipwreck, Thistlegorm, as “must sees”. Their popularity is justified and has led to overcrowding. You can ask your dive school to take you to lesser known sites but if you want to see the “highlights” then you run the risk of “traffic jams”. Given that, we are hearing more often that the crowds are not as bad as you might expect. It could be that with the growth of other dive destinations, such as Dahab, some of the pressure has been taken off Sharm el-Sheikh.

Suffocated Reefs
The tempestuous development of Sharm el-Sheikh has created problems. Corals which grew close to the shoreline have been suffocated by the sand and cement which have polluted the sea from nearby building sites. The sewage outlets which opened into the sea have not made life below the surface any more attractive. Lately, interventions to prevent further damage have been applied but much of the damage is irreparable. Some of the easy dive spots for beginners have been lost. The best dive spots lie just out from the coast which is why most diving in Sharm el-Sheikh occurs from dive boats.

Sharm el-Sheikh Summary
Tourist town with every convenience imaginable. Top dive spots: Thistlegorm and Ras Mohammed