Where to snorkel
Elsewhere in the guide
Far more people snorkel here than dive, and they get told far less. These are the sites worth the effort along this coast, sorted by the thing that actually matters when you are standing on a beach with a mask: whether you can walk in, and how deep it is when you do. Last reviewed 1 August 2026.
Two things worth saying once
Nobody can promise you a turtle, and anyone promising a dugong is selling something they cannot deliver — these are wild animals in open water. And if you are not a confident swimmer, say so before the boat leaves rather than at the ladder. Every operator carries buoyancy vests and it is an entirely normal thing to ask for.
All eight, side by side
6 of these 8 are reached from a beach or a jetty rather than a boat. That is the thing this coast is quietly best at and the thing nobody sells you, because there is no commission on a reef you can swim to from a towel.
| Site | Nearest base | Getting in | Swimming needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Dabbab Bay | Marsa Alam | Shore entry | Easy |
| Marsa Mubarak | Marsa Alam | Shore or boat | Easy |
| Giftun Islands | Hurghada | Boat trip | Moderate |
| Sahl Hasheesh house reef | Sahl Hasheesh | Shore entry | Easy |
| Makadi Bay house reef | Makadi | Shore entry via jetty | Easy |
| Soma Bay drop-off | Soma Bay | Shore entry via jetty | Moderate |
| Shaab El Erg | El Gouna | Boat trip | Moderate |
| El Quseir house reefs | El Quseir | Shore entry | Moderate |
Shore entry
Abu Dabbab Bay
Marsa Alam · EasyLong the most famous place in Egypt to try to snorkel with a dugong — sightings have grown less reliable in recent years — and near-certain green turtles, in a shallow sandy bay you walk into from the beach.
Sahl Hasheesh house reef
Sahl Hasheesh · EasyOne of the northern coast’s best shore snorkels — real reef within swimming distance of a sandy beach, no boat required.
El Quseir house reefs
El Quseir · ModerateThe coast’s most underrated shore snorkelling — reef close in, water clearer than the north, and almost nobody in it.
Shore entry via jetty
Makadi Bay house reef
Makadi · EasyThe family-friendly option — reef at the end of a jetty, so children and nervous swimmers skip the awkward shallow crossing entirely.
Soma Bay drop-off
Soma Bay · ModerateA near-vertical reef wall reachable from a jetty — the most dramatic thing on this coast that does not need a boat.
Shore or boat
Need a boat
Giftun Islands
Hurghada · ModerateHurghada’s standard day trip, and for good reason: proper coral gardens in a protected area, 45 minutes out of the marina.
Shaab El Erg
El Gouna · ModerateThe dolphin reef north of Hurghada — a shallow horseshoe lagoon with coral pinnacles, and a resident spinner pod that comes and goes.
Diving rather than snorkelling?
The named dive sites — Elphinstone, the Thistlegorm, the Brothers and the rest — are written up separately, and the coast’s recompression chambers are on our emergency contacts page.