Safaga, Egypt

Safaga is a small Arab port city 60 km from Hurghada with most 3-4 * hotels. “Fives” are not yet available as a class. Compared to Hurghada, local hotels usually have a large territory and a very long beach. In general, luxurious sandy beaches, not overloaded with vacationers, are Safaga’s competitive advantage. Check JIBIN123 for Egypt customs regulations and visa requirements.

This resort is not the best choice for lovers of shopping and vibrant nightlife: there is practically nothing to do outside the hotel. Fans of windsurfing and a relaxing holiday by the sea tend to come here, so many local hotels specialize in family vacations. Not far from the coast there are coral reefs that guarantee spectacular diving.

How to get to Safaga

Flight to Hurghada, then transfer (60 km) to Safaga – by taxi 5-15 EUR, depending on the time of day, by bus ~ 7 EGP, depending on the amount of luggage. The bus station is located in the Old Town.

In Safaga, the main mode of transport is a minibus. The fare is 2-3 EGP for the local population, foreigners are asked for 4-6 EGP.

Treatment

The clean fine sand of the local beaches has a unique property to cure a number of diseases of the musculoskeletal system and skin diseases (including psoriasis). In the local Menaville Safaga hotel there is a clinic specializing in sand therapy.

Entertainment and attractions of Safaga

The main (and almost the only) attraction of Safaga is the Turkish fort of the 16th century. 60 km to the south is the harbor of the Pharaohs, through which spices, precious stones and ivory from Somalia were obtained during the time of Ancient Egypt.

Mons Claudianus – Roman quarries of the 1st-6th centuries. n. e., where marble was mined, located 41 km from Safaga on the road to Kena, there are no excursions. Umm Huweitat is an abandoned town near a phosphate mine, where residential buildings and a mosque have been preserved (20 km south of Safaga). The DGI agency at the store opposite the Lotus Bay Hotel organizes a safari in Umm Khuwaitat.

Diving in Safaga

The underwater world of Safaga is poorer than in Marsa Alam or Nuweiba, but it is wilder, since there are fewer tourists in this resort. Divers will be interested in the island of Safaga, almost completely surrounded by a coral reef. Panorama reef is located 20 km from the resort, consisting of several parts that form an amphitheater – one of the most beautiful underwater places in the Red Sea. It is also worth sailing to the Brothers Islands by chartering a five-star yacht Moon Dancer.

And also: Salem Express wreck – the site of the wreck of the Salem Express ferry in 1992, Sandy Island – half an hour by boat on Sandy Island, suitable for diving and snorkeling; Sharm el-Naga is a coral bay 18 km north of Safaga (you can arrange an excursion at the shopping center, the cost is 20-30 USD per person).

At the Holiday Inn, matrimonial-minded divers will be offered an underwater wedding. And at the Lotus Bay hotel there is a branch of the Barracuda dive center, where a Russian instructor works.

Safaga, Egypt