Safaga: Diving and Water Sports

Safaga combines long sandy beaches and a sheltered marine environment with a wide range of activities on and beneath the water. This character is particularly evident in its diving: shallow, easily accessible dive sites contrast with more challenging reef areas and special experiences such as night dives. Kitesurfing and windsurfing are also among the activities that define a stay here. Which of these aspects appeals to you most can help you choose Safaga as a holiday destination and find a holiday apartment as a base for your trip.

Beaches, Bay and Wind

Safaga’s beaches stretch for about 60 kilometres. The wide sandy beaches have sheltered shallow-water areas for beginner kitesurfers; along the sandy beaches, there are also wind-sheltered areas for beginner windsurfers. Safaga also offers suitable conditions for windsurfing. The bay is usually calm and shallow: even with winds of 5 to 6 on the Beaufort scale, it has no high waves, and there are no breaking waves.

According to the description, Safaga’s clean beaches and strong winds also make it an ideal place for water skiing. If you mainly want to spend your holiday enjoying water activities, you can therefore weigh up kitesurfing, windsurfing, water skiing and diving.

Dive Sites for Different Interests

Safaga has shallow, easily accessible dive sites for beginners. Dive centres offer courses from beginner to professional level. Visitors can also complete a full dive in the sea as part of an introductory experience, under the direct supervision of a professional dive instructor. Children aged eight and over can take part in special diving activities for children. These options give families considering diving experiences together some concrete possibilities; the age requirement applies to the specified children’s activities.

Experienced divers can explore the reef wall at Abu Kifan Reef. Manta rays are spotted at Shaab Siman Reef near Safaga, while night diving is possible at Shaab Shir Reef. Those looking to compare different diving experiences will find a reef wall for experienced divers, opportunities to observe marine life and a night dive. The Salem Express wreck site is at Hindeeman Reef near Safaga. Divers may visit the wreck, but must never enter the ferry’s hull.

Sea, Nature and Further Information

Safaga’s marine area is protected. The black sand dunes are also among the destination’s distinctive landscape features; they are attributed with special healing properties. Reefs, sandy beaches, the bay and the dunes each give the trip a different character.

Safaga has a small port that accommodates passenger ferries and container ships. Some safari yacht trips from Hurghada include routes to Safaga’s best dive sites. If diving is a deciding factor for your trip, when choosing a holiday apartment in Safaga you can first consider whether you want to focus mainly on courses and shallow dive sites, the reef wall, night diving or underwater wildlife observation. For a stay that includes several water sports, Safaga also offers the activities described at its beaches and in the bay.

Discover More Destinations

More destinations: Hurghada, Za‘farānah, Marsa Alam, Ad Dahhār, El Gouna, Abu Ghusun and Quseir.

Back to the main travel overview: Red Sea Governorate.