Best Beaches in Hurghada for Snorkeling: Islands, Bays and House Reefs

The best beaches in Hurghada for snorkeling are Mahmya and Orange Bay on Giftun Island, about 30 to 45 minutes offshore by boat, and the mainland bays south of the city, especially Sharm El Naga, Makadi Bay and Sahl Hasheesh, where you can swim to the reef straight from the sand. The richest coral is usually on boat stops such as Abu Ramada, so most visitors combine one island day with snorkeling from a beach with a good house reef.

The beaches in central Hurghada itself are mostly sandy with little coral close to shore, which is why where you sleep and which trip you book matter more than in Sharm El Sheikh or Marsa Alam. Our team organises Red Sea days for guests throughout the year, and this guide is based on that experience: which beach fits which traveller, when the sea is calm and clear, and how to avoid the crowded boats.

	From the beach	From a boat
Access	Walk in from the sand or a jetty	Day trip from Hurghada marina
Reef quality	Shallow fringing reef; good at Sharm El Naga and the southern bays, poor in central Hurghada	Healthier offshore reefs and coral heads
Marine life	Reef fish, rays, sometimes turtles	Larger shoals, turtles, sometimes dolphins
Best for	Beginners, children, several short swims a day	Confident swimmers who want the best coral
Cost	Beach entry fee or free from your resort	Trip price plus protected-area fee

Our advice for a week in Hurghada: one or two boat days to the islands, and a hotel in a bay with a real house reef for the rest of the time.

Mahmya Beach (Giftun Island)

Mahmya is a managed beach on Giftun Kebir, the larger of the two Giftun islands inside the Red Sea protected area. The water is very clear, the beach is clean, and a reef starts a short swim from the shore. It is calmer and better organised than Orange Bay, which makes it our first choice for couples and families who want comfort. Book in advance in high season.

Orange Bay (Giftun Island)

Orange Bay, on the same island, is the most photographed beach near Hurghada: white sand and a long shallow lagoon in shades of turquoise. The lagoon itself has little coral, so the snorkeling on an Orange Bay trip happens at one or two reef stops on the way. It is lively, with music and beach bars, and it gets crowded from mid-morning. Choose it for the beach day, not for the best reef.

Giftun reefs and Abu Ramada

Most boat trips stop at one or two reefs around Giftun or at Abu Ramada, south of the islands, known as "the Aquarium" because of the density of reef fish. These stops usually give the best snorkeling of the day: coral heads, schools of fusiliers and snappers, parrotfish, and with luck a turtle or a ray. The boat moors on a fixed buoy and the crew guides you around the reef.

Sharm El Naga

Sharm El Naga is a bay about 40 km south of Hurghada, on the road to Safaga. It has one of the best house reefs on the mainland, reached from a wooden jetty that protects the coral from people walking on it. The reef drops away close to the shore, with good coral and plenty of fish, and turtles are seen from time to time. A day pass includes a sunbed. It is the best beach in the Hurghada area for snorkeling without a boat.

Makadi Bay

Makadi Bay, about 30 km south of the city, is a resort bay with shallow, calm water and reefs reached from jetties. The resorts here run their own beaches, so access is mainly for hotel guests or with a day pass. It suits beginners and families who want to snorkel several times a day.

Sahl Hasheesh

Sahl Hasheesh, about 20 km south, is a planned resort area along a wide bay with a long promenade. Several hotels have jetties to the reef edge, and the old sunken village at the north end of the bay is a well-known snorkeling spot. Water is generally calm and clear.

El Gouna

El Gouna, 25 km north, is a lagoon town. The lagoons are not for snorkeling, but boats from its marina reach northern reefs such as Shaab El Erg, a horseshoe reef where dolphins are often seen in the morning.

• First time snorkeling: Makadi Bay or Sahl Hasheesh from a jetty, in the morning when the sea is flat.
• Families with children: Mahmya for an easy, organised island day; Makadi for daily beach time.
• The best coral without a boat: Sharm El Naga.
• The best coral overall: a boat trip with stops at Abu Ramada and the Giftun reefs.
• Dolphins: a morning boat from Hurghada or El Gouna to Shaab El Erg; sightings are common but never guaranteed.
• A beach day with friends: Orange Bay.

	Mahmya	Orange Bay	Reef trip (Giftun, Abu Ramada)
Beach	Clean, managed, calm	White sand, shallow lagoon, busy	Short beach stop or none
Snorkeling	Reef near the shore	At the boat stops, not in the lagoon	Best coral and fish
Atmosphere	Quiet	Lively, music	Active
Best for	Couples, families	Groups, photos	Keen snorkelers

Our full guide on whether Giftun Island is worth visiting compares the island trips in more detail.

Children who swim confidently can usually snorkel from about 6 or 7 years old. Start in a shallow lagoon or from a jetty with a gentle slope, put them in a buoyancy vest, and choose a mask that covers only the eyes and nose rather than a full-face mask, which can be unsafe if it fogs or leaks. Keep the first swims short, stay between your child and the reef, and pick a calm morning. Mahmya and the bays of Makadi and Sahl Hasheesh are the easiest places to start.

Most good snorkeling beaches in the Hurghada area belong to resorts or are managed day-use beaches with an entry fee. The public beaches in town are fine for swimming but have little reef. If snorkeling is the reason for your holiday, choose your hotel by its house reef and jetty, not by its pool: ask whether the reef can be reached directly from the beach, how far it is, and whether the hotel lends equipment. With a day pass you can also use a resort beach elsewhere for the day.

You can snorkel all year. The sea is coolest in February and March and warmest in August.

Months	Average sea temperature	What to expect
December to March	21 to 23°C	Fresh; a shorty wetsuit makes longer swims comfortable. Fewer people.
April and May	22 to 24°C	Warming water, very good visibility, some windy days.
June to September	26 to 28°C	Warmest water; hot on land and busy in the school holidays.
October and November	25 to 26°C	Our favourite: warm sea, calmer wind, pleasant air.

Whatever the month, go in the morning. The wind usually rises after midday and the surface gets choppy, which spoils visibility and makes swimming harder for beginners. Boat trips leave between 8:00 and 9:00 for this reason.

• Your own mask if you have one that fits; trip equipment is basic. Fins and a snorkel are provided on boats.
• A rash guard or long-sleeved swim shirt: it protects from sunburn on your back better than sunscreen.
• Reef-safe sunscreen, applied well before you enter the water.
• Water shoes for rocky entries, but never stand on the reef.
• A buoyancy vest for children and weaker swimmers; boats carry them.
• Cash for the protected-area fee if it is not included, tips and drinks.

• Never touch, stand on or kick the coral. Many reef animals sting, and coral cuts heal slowly.
• Do not feed the fish or collect shells and coral; it is forbidden in the protected area.
• Snorkel with a buddy and stay within sight of the boat or the lifeguard.
• Watch the current and enter and leave the water only at the jetties or marked points.
• Lionfish, stonefish and scorpionfish are common: look, but keep your hands to yourself.
• Shark incidents in the Red Sea are rare, and the shallow reefs where people snorkel are not a usual area for large sharks. Follow the crew's instructions.

The Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA) maintains hundreds of mooring buoys along the Egyptian Red Sea coast so that boats do not drop anchors on the coral. Choose an operator that uses them.

Yes, especially for beginners and families: warm water, calm bays and reefs a short swim or boat ride away. Experienced snorkelers looking for the most pristine coral may prefer the reefs further south, around Marsa Alam, or Ras Mohamed near Sharm El Sheikh. Our comparison of Marsa Alam and Hurghada helps you choose, and our guide to the Red Sea beaches covers the rest of the coast. For the rest of your stay, read our list of things to do in Hurghada.

We book island snorkeling trips, day passes and dolphin boats among our Hurghada day tours. If you want to see the reef without getting wet, the submarine tour in Hurghada is a good choice for younger children, and the 7 days Cairo and Hurghada holiday combines the pyramids with a week by the Red Sea.