Hurghada is a sunny hotspot for divers.
Hurgada, known locally as Ghardaga, has grown from a small fishing
village to an internationally renowned resort town on the Red Sea coast of
Egypt, famous for its underwater life and diving and snorkelling opportunities.
Once an isolated and modest fishing village, it's now a thriving tourist
resort devoted entirely to diving and snorkelling enthusiasts with more than
40km (25 miles) of hotels along the beach.
Hurgada can satisfy the needs of every visitor, and provide
accommodation to match, from the simplest guest house to the finest five-star
hotel. It is also the gateway to Egypt's southern dive sites, including Safaga,
Quseir and Marsa Alam.
In reality, Hurgada has three main centres and numerous self-contained
tourist villages now merging into one resort. To the north lies the old town,
Ad-Dahar, which has more than half of the total local population, and the
cheapest hotels and restaurants. A couple of kilometres south is the Port of
Sigala with New Hurgada a few kilometres further south.
Stunning coral reefs and turquoise waters perfect for windsurfing have
made Hurgada a busy resort town. Within easy reach of the stunning Giftun
Islands and the Eastern Arabian Desert, Hurgada has seen enormous amounts of
development in the past decade.
Hurgada is warm and dry year-round, with the best times to visit being
between February to June and September to November. During the summer months
the temperature can soar to an uncomfortable 40 °C, however for divers this
does provide bath warm waters in which to enjoy the marine life.
The average monthly temperatures are:
|
°C |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|
Day |
21 |
22 |
25 |
28 |
31 |
33 |
34 |
34 |
32 |
30 |
27 |
23 |
|
Night |
10 |
11 |
14 |
17 |
21 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
24 |
20 |
16 |
12 |
The traditional El-Dahar
area displays a range of shopping
items like jewellery, papyrus crafts and leather items. The visitors can explore the shops and
boutique-lined streets in Sekalla,
Dahar and Tareek El Kora.
One of the old town highlights is a visit to the souk. Here you can browse
in canvas-covered alleys past countless clothing shops, fragrant spice stalls
and craft stands. When shopping in the souk, remember that it is a tradition to
haggle with the shopkeeper about the price, along with accepting a cup of the
mint tea that all shops offer to their customers.
If you are looking for some designer-wear, try the Gecko New Sportswear in Jasmin village. Here you can shop for hugely popular beachwear, stylish
shirts and flip-flops.
The main town area, Ad-Dahar, a few kilometres away from the resort
hotels strip, has preserved all the traditions of a small fishing village, and
apart from some restaurants, there's not much to offer as far as nightlife is
concerned.
But the resort area of Hurgada boasts a lively nightlife with numerous
clubs, discos, pubs and trendy lounges, and a variety of entertainment that
include beach barbeques, karaoke evenings, foam parties and divers' parties. Some
of the most popular ones are:
Apart from many popular diving and snorkelling spots, like Giftun
Island, there are not many places of interest within easy reach of Hurgada.
However, local tour operators within the town offer day trips to places
including:
Egypt is a very safe place to travel, but as with travelling in any
foreign country, be alert, stay in groups if possible, and don’t carry large
amounts of cash around with you.
In crowded areas, protect your belongings from possible pickpockets, especially
in the most touristy spots. These measures are more common sense than
anything else.
Always ensure you are prepared for the hot Egyptian weather. Bring
plenty of high factor sun block and drink plenty of water to combat
dehydration. Drinking water in the main cities and towns is normally
chlorinated but it is advisable to only drink bottled water.
