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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 25 July 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.
The best chance in Egypt of snorkelling with a dugong, and near-certain green turtles, in a shallow sandy bay you walk into from the beach.
One of the northern coast’s best shore snorkels — real reef within swimming distance of a sandy beach, no boat required.
The coast’s most underrated shore snorkelling — reef close in, water clearer than the north, and almost nobody in it.
The family-friendly option — reef at the end of a jetty, so children and nervous swimmers skip the awkward shallow crossing entirely.
A near-vertical reef wall reachable from a jetty — the most dramatic thing on this coast that does not need a boat.
Hurghada’s standard day trip, and for good reason: proper coral gardens in a protected area, 45 minutes out of the marina.
The 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.