Safaga (Egypt)
Safaga is a cargo and passenger port near Hurghada, near which a resort has recently been created. There are few attractions in Safaga. A 16th-century Turkish fort is located in the center of the city , and 60 km south of Safaga is al-Kosseir, the pharaohs’ harbor where they obtained precious stones, as well as spices and ivory from Somalia. Accompanied by local guides, you can go to the island of Tobia or Mount Kladianos in the Eastern Desert, where the ancient quarries are located. From the port of Safaga, go on a cruise on the Red Sea or on a dive safari.
This place has excellent diving bases. and surfing. The coast is divided into several resort areas, which are famous among tourists for their coral reefs.
According to Shopareview, the Ras Abu Soma reef is located opposite the shore and gradually moves away into the sea. Here you can find many caves with cleaner fish, reef fish and eagles.
Panorama reef is not one, but several reefs located in the form of a kind of amphitheater. Located about 20 kilometers east of Safaga. The purest water allows you to admire the vertical walls of coral, flung open like a theater curtain. Here the inhabitants of the depths give an eternal “spectacle”. In addition to all kinds of motley “little things”, like butterfly fish, clown fish, parrot fish, sharks, barracudas, moray eels and even manta rays can appear on the “stage” – giant stingrays with a fin span of up to six meters.
Middle Reef is located south of Panorama Reef. It is very interesting to dive from its southern side, where you can get lost in endless caves, labyrinths, tunnels. Safaga Island is located in the
immediate vicinity of Safaga ., almost entirely surrounded by a coral reef. It is a great place for snorkelers and beginner divers with clean, semi-empty beaches, extensive reef plateaus and breathtaking underwater views.
The Brothers Islands are one of the most wonderful places in the Red Sea. From Safaga there – a few hours of travel. For the past three years, the islands have been closed to tourists. And now only the wealthiest divers can get there. The Brothers Islands go into the blue abyss for many hundreds of meters. At the depths accessible to scuba divers, there are corals that cannot be found anywhere else. Alcyonaria are also spread out in motley carpets, unique giant gorgonians rise – coral “fans”.
Thanks to the maritime climate, sandy beach, therapeutic mud and ultraviolet rays, Safaga is a balneological resort where psoriasis and arthritis are successfully treated. There are several health resorts on the coast.
Soma Bay (Egypt)
Soma Bay, together with the Makadi Bay resort, is part of a single developing recreation area of Abu Makadi on the Red Sea coast south of Hurghada. The distance between Hurghada and Soma Bay is 40 km. The resort is a cluster of upscale hotels on a deserted coast away from major cities. All beaches here belong to one of the hotels, each hotel offers tourists a lot of entertainment – bars, restaurants and discos, as well as high-quality service. Holidays in Sama Bay are suitable for families with children, there is no bustle of large tourist centers, only beaches and the sea. The local beaches are composed of sand, in which shells are found. The swimming season in Soma Bay lasts all year round – the water temperature never drops below 20 degrees Celsius.
Coastal waters are a great place for diving. Not far from Soma Bay is the coral reef Ras Abu Soma. The reef itself is interesting here and a sheer wall descending to a depth of 25 m, you can also dive to a depth of 35 m, where there is a cave that is covered with soft corals. Glassfish, barracuda, moquel, squid, rays, gray reef sharks, and in March and April – sea devils are found in these places.
On the coast of Soma Bay you can practice windsurfing and kitesurfing. The best wind conditions are observed during the summer months. The resort has experienced instructors who will help beginners learn how to ride the board.
The resort is famous for the fact that in 2001 a golf club with 18 golf courses was opened here. This is the first golf club to be opened on the desert coast of the Red Sea, and the only place in the Middle East, which hosts world championships in this sport.
Soma Bay has the largest thalasso therapy center on this coast.
