Port Ghalib Marina
Abu Dabbab Bay
Marsa Shagra
Sharm El Luli
Hamata Bay
Dive Elphinstone Reef
Snorkel with dugongs at Abu Dabbab
Dive Sha’ab Samadai (Dolphin House)
Whale shark spotting at Fury Shoal (June-July)
Snorkel the seagrass meadows at Marsa Mubarak
Wadi El Gemal National Park
Hamata Bedouin village
Marsa Alam town centre
Qulaan Mangroves & Lagoons
Port Ghalib promenade
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Diving conditions are good for most of the year, but April to June and September to November offer the calmest seas and most comfortable temperatures. June and July also bring the best chance of encountering whale sharks further offshore around Fury Shoal, though sightings are never guaranteed. Summer months from July to August run hottest, with daytime desert temperatures regularly exceeding 40°C ashore.
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Marsa Alam International Airport (RMF) sits about 60 kilometres north of the town, with direct seasonal and charter flights from several European cities alongside connections via Cairo. It’s a smaller, quieter airport than Hurghada’s or Sharm’s, reflecting Marsa Alam’s status as the newer, less developed end of Egypt’s Red Sea coast, and transfers to most anchorages run under an hour.
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Port Ghalib offers the only full-service marina in the area, useful for provisioning and crew changes. Abu Dabbab and Marsa Shagra are sheltered, sandy bays well suited to an overnight stop, while Sharm El Luli’s turquoise lagoon and Hamata further south reward those willing to run a little further for a quieter setting. Conditions are generally calm outside the spring wind season.
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Four to six days allows time to dive Elphinstone, snorkel with dugongs at Abu Dabbab and explore Wadi El Gemal National Park without rushing between sites. Because Marsa Alam sits well south of Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh, most itineraries treat it as a distinct leg of a longer Red Sea charter rather than a short add-on to the busier northern resorts.
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Yes. Dugongs are a protected, vulnerable species, and local marine park guidelines ask guests to observe from several metres away, never touch, chase or block their path to the surface, and limit group sizes in the water at any one time. A local guide or dive centre typically briefs guests before entering Abu Dabbab, and the same courtesy applies to the sea turtles that often share the same seagrass beds.
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