Snorkelling and diving in El Gouna: beach snorkelling, reefs, wrecks, dive centres and courses

Most of El Gouna's water is lagoon, so the best reefs are offshore, a short boat ride away. A few places let you snorkel from a jetty or the beach, and the dive centres take snorkellers and divers out every day.

From El Gouna you reach the reefs and dolphins of Shaab el Erg, the walls of El Fanadir and, further out, the wrecks of Abu Nuhas. The dive centres are listed after the text.

Yes, in a few places: the Zeytouna jetty, the Sheraton Miramar's jetty and the reef edge off Makani Beach Club. For most reefs you need a boat.

• Zeytouna: reached by the shuttle boat or the boardwalk. Walk to the end of the wooden jetty and snorkel in deeper water with colourful fish. Food and drinks there are expensive, so some people bring their own.
• The Sheraton Miramar: from Scuba World's jetty you step straight onto a reef.
• Makani Beach Club: calm, shallow water with reef edges just offshore, good for a morning snorkel.
• Hotel house reefs: Blue Brothers at Cook's Club does check dives on a house reef. For other hotels, including the Mövenpick, ask the hotel or its dive centre whether there's a reef you can reach from the beach.
• Go early: the wind usually picks up in the afternoon.
• Look, don't touch: don't stand on the coral, and use reef-safe sunscreen.

The best snorkelling is on the offshore reefs, above all Shaab el Erg and Dolphin House, about 50 minutes by boat, where dolphins live.

• With a dive centre: Dream Team, The Dive Connection, Scuba World and Orca all take snorkellers out, for half or full days. Orca's guided snorkelling suits families and first-timers.
• On a catamaran or excursion boat: the trips to Dolphin House and Giftun island, with their times and prices, are on El Gouna excursions.

The main dive sites from El Gouna are the reef of Shaab el Erg with its dolphins, the walls of El Fanadir and Umm Gamar, and the four wrecks of Abu Nuhas; the Thistlegorm and the Rosalie Moller are for advanced divers.

• Shaab el Erg and Dolphin House: a horseshoe reef over 5 km long, directly east of El Gouna. Bottlenose dolphins live in its lagoon, the best chance on this coast to see them in the wild. Dolphin House, at its northern end, has a channel the dolphins swim through (with a moderate current), plus turtles, morays, napoleon wrasse and rays.
• El Fanadir: about an hour south; a 20 m wide plateau, then a wall dropping past 70 m. It suits beginners and experienced divers alike.
• Umm Gamar: about 1 h 20 min south-east; for all levels, often a drift dive, with plateaus, pinnacles and a small cave.
• Careless Reef: twin pinnacles with strong currents and big fish, for experienced divers.
• El Gilwa (the Siyoul islands): about 2 hours north; coral blocks covered in soft coral, sometimes strong currents.
• The Abu Nuhas wrecks: four ships on one reef: the Giannis D (10 to 25 m, its engine room full of glassfish), the Carnatic (12 to 24 m), the Chrisoula K (5 to 26 m) and the Kimon M (10 to 25 m).
• For advanced divers: the Rosalie Moller, about 2.5 hours north, at 35 to 50 m with strong currents; and the Thistlegorm at Shaab Ali, sunk in 1941 with its wartime cargo of locomotives, trucks and motorbikes (nitrox recommended).

El Gouna's dive centres are mostly at hotels, plus Orca's boats at Abu Tig Marina; they differ in where they are, their agency, their languages and their boats, so choose the one that fits you.

• Dream Team Divers (Three Corners Rihana): on the beach; PADI 5-Star IDC; reef and wreck dives, snorkelling trips and PADI courses; two boats.
• The Dive Connection (Club Paradisio): on the beach; PADI 5-Star IDC; short trips and day tours for divers and snorkellers; multilingual instructors; courses up to instructor.
• Orca Dive Club (Turtle's Inn, boats from Abu Tig Marina): PADI, SSI and CMAS courses, from a first day to technical diving; Arabic, English, French and German; nitrox and trimix; open 8:00 to 18:00 every day.
• Scuba World (the Sheraton Miramar and the Mövenpick): PADI courses, refreshers, daily boat dives, and snorkelling trips of half or full days.
• Blue Brothers (Cook's Club): one of El Gouna's first centres; house-reef check dives and full-day boat trips; lessons in English, German and Arabic.
• Divers with reduced mobility: Orca and Scuba World dive with them on specially prepared boats, and Blue Brothers has a boat equipped for disabled divers.

Their contacts are in the list below.

A first try dive is a single day; the Open Water course takes four days to a week, and Orca's cost about €429 in 2023, with gear and insurance. Ask each centre for this year's prices.

• Children: programmes start at age 8 (Bubble Maker, Discover Scuba Diving, snorkelling courses); Junior Open Water from 10.
• Open Water: from 15; four dives in a pool and four in the sea; you can then dive to 18 m. You need to swim 200 m and float for 10 minutes, and fill in a medical form.
• Advanced Open Water: takes you to 30 m.
• Safety: El Gouna has a hyperbaric chamber, Deco International.
• Peak season: book your course or dive package ahead.

You can snorkel and dive all year, but the water is warmest from June to November, at 26.7 to 29.6 °C.

• June to November: no wetsuit needed for snorkelling; a rash guard against the sun.
• December to May: 22.5 to 25 °C, coldest in February; take a wetsuit for long snorkels and for diving.
• Visibility: usually clear; the dive centres call April to November the best months.
• Wind: mornings are calmer, which helps on the boat and in the water.

Every month in detail: water temperature and the best time to visit El Gouna.