Visit Sharm El-Sheikh: free Sinai entry, Red Sea reefs & Mount Sinai

Ras Mohammed, at the southernmost tip of Sinai where the Gulf of Suez meets the Gulf of Aqaba, is Egypt's premier marine national park and one of the world's top dive destinations. Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef form the park's signature dive — a wall dropping 700+ meters into the abyss, patrolled by barracuda, jackfish, and occasional hammerhead sharks, with the remains of the cargo ship Yolanda (sunk 1980) scattering toilets and bathtubs across the reef at 25 meters. The reef itself is a vertical garden of soft corals in electric purple, orange, and red. Ras Mohammed is accessible by boat from Sharm (day trips $40-70 including 2 dives, lunch). Certification: PADI Open Water courses run $250-350 (3-4 days) at Sharm's 100+ dive centers. Single guided dives: $30-50. Non-divers can snorkel directly from the shore at Ras Mohammed's beach (park entry 75 EGP + 50 EGP car; boat trips include entry). The marine life visible while snorkeling — Napoleon wrasse, lionfish, moray eels, parrotfish — is extraordinary even in shallow water. The park is also home to mangrove forests, a rare sight in the Middle East.

The SS Thistlegorm, a 128-meter British supply ship sunk by German bombers in 1941, lies in 30 meters of water in the Strait of Gubal, accessible from Sharm by liveaboard or day boat (3-4 hours each way). It's the most dived wreck on Earth, and for good reason: the cargo holds contain WWII military supplies preserved underwater for 80 years — BSA motorcycles, Bedford trucks, a locomotive and railway carriages, Lee Enfield rifles, Wellington boots, and a biplane wing. The exterior is encrusted with corals and patrolled by schools of batfish. Penetrating the engine room and bridge is possible for experienced divers. The site requires Advanced Open Water certification (or equivalent) due to depth and currents. Day trips from Sharm run $80-120 for 2 dives on the wreck. Liveaboard trips (3-7 nights) cover the Thistlegorm along with other northern Red Sea sites. The dive is popular enough that 20+ boats may be moored simultaneously — early morning dives see fewer divers on the wreck.

Dahab, 90 minutes north of Sharm El-Sheikh on the Gulf of Aqaba coast, is Sharm's anti-thesis — a former Bedouin fishing village turned backpacker haven where the vibe is flip-flops, wind-surfing, and dive-shop camaraderie rather than all-inclusive resorts. The Blue Hole is Dahab's main attraction: a 130-meter-deep vertical shaft in the reef that's sublime for snorkelers (the rim is shallow enough to see the coral and the abyss below from the surface) and fatally dangerous for deep divers attempting to pass through 'The Arch,' a tunnel at 52 meters connecting the Blue Hole to the open sea — a passage that has claimed more divers than any other site in the sea. Don't let that deter snorkelers: the Blue Hole's rim is magnificent and completely safe. The Lighthouse reef and Canyon are Dahab's other premier dive sites. The town's waterfront is lined with cushion-seated cafes where divers, yogis, and long-stay travelers share shisha and wifi. Accommodation: $5-15/night for basic beachfront cabins, $30-60 for mid-range hotels. Dahab is also Egypt's top windsurfing and kitesurfing destination — the Lagoon's reliable winds draw serious riders.

Mount Sinai (Jebel Musa, 2,285 meters), where Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments, rises from the desert interior of the Sinai Peninsula, 3 hours from Sharm by car. The standard experience: depart Sharm at midnight, arrive at the base at 2 AM, hike the Camel Path (7 km, 2.5-3 hours — the easier route) or the Steps of Repentance (3,750 stone steps, steeper and more direct) to reach the summit for sunrise. The sunrise view — desert mountains in every direction, sometimes a sea of clouds below — is genuinely transcendent regardless of religious feeling. Descend to St. Catherine's Monastery (opening 9 AM), founded in 548 CE by order of Emperor Justinian, the world's oldest continuously operating monastery. The compound holds the Chapel of the Burning Bush (built over the site where God spoke to Moses), a mosque (built during the Fatimid period to protect the monastery), and a library with manuscripts older than the Vatican Library's collection, including the Codex Sinaiticus. Dress modestly; the monastery is a working religious community. Guided tours from Sharm: $40-80 per person including transport.

Sharm's resort strip stretches along 35 km of coastline divided into distinct zones. Naama Bay is the original tourist center — the closest thing to a 'downtown' Sharm has, with a pedestrian promenade, restaurants, shisha cafes, shopping, and a public beach. The bay's house reef is decent for snorkeling. Shark's Bay (no sharks, despite the name) and Ras Um Sid are where the serious snorkeling happens — coral reefs accessible directly from the shore, with house reefs that rival anything at Ras Mohammed. Nabq Bay, north of the airport, holds the large all-inclusive resorts (Rixos, Baron, Hilton) but is further from town and the reef access is less direct. Pricing varies enormously: budget hotels from $20-40/night, mid-range with reef access $60-120, all-inclusive 5-star from $100-200/night. Sharm's year-round swimming (water 22-28°C) and 340+ sunny days make it a reliable winter sun destination for Europeans. The Sinai-only entry permit (free, 15 days, South Sinai only) means some nationalities can visit Sharm without a full Egyptian visa — check eligibility.

The Sinai Desert beyond Sharm's coastal resorts is a landscape of red-gold mountains, wadis (dry valleys), and silence. Bedouin camps in the desert interior offer overnight experiences: dinner cooked on open fires (zarb — meat and vegetables buried in sand and cooked underground), tea brewed with habak (mint-like desert herb), star-gazing in some of the darkest skies in the northern hemisphere, and sleeping on rugs in the open or in simple shelters. Prices: $40-80/person including transport, dinner, and breakfast. The Colored Canyon (3 hours from Sharm, near Nuweiba) is a narrow slot canyon with sandstone walls in layers of yellow, red, purple, and white — easy enough for non-hikers, spectacular for photographers. Wadi Gnai offers larger canyon hikes. For adventure seekers: camel treks into the Sinai interior (multi-day with Bedouin guides) and the Sinai Trail (a 550-km long-distance hiking route connecting Bedouin communities) are emerging options. All desert excursions require a Bedouin guide — the desert is dangerous without local knowledge.

Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport (SSH) receives direct flights from major European cities (London, Manchester, Berlin, Moscow, Rome) plus domestic flights from Cairo. Charter flights from Europe are a key source of tourism. The Sinai-only entry permit is available free at Sharm airport for eligible nationalities (including most EU, UK, US, Australian citizens) — valid for 15 days, restricted to South Sinai only (cannot visit Cairo, Luxor, or mainland Egypt). If you plan to visit other parts of Egypt, get a full e-visa or visa on arrival ($25 at Sharm airport). Getting around: taxis and hotel shuttles are the main transport; ride-hailing coverage is patchy and least dependable at the airport. Taxis are unmetered — agree on price before getting in (Naama Bay to airport ~100-150 EGP, to Ras Mohammed ~300-500 EGP). Climate: 340+ sunny days, water 22-28°C year-round, air temperatures 20-25°C (winter) to 35-40°C (summer). October-April is ideal; summer is hot but the diving is excellent. Safety: South Sinai (Sharm, Dahab, St. Catherine) is secure with heavy tourist police presence. North Sinai has security concerns — avoid travel there. Alcohol is widely available in Sharm's resorts and restaurants, unlike mainland Egypt.