EG · Red Sea Governorate · 25.07°N 34.90°E

marsa alam

Quieter Red Sea bays, seagrass-feeding turtles and desert meeting the reef.

Best time
April–May and October–November suit both snorkelling and time ashore. July–August is very hot, and winter winds can rough up exposed jetties even on sunny days.
How long
4–5 days
Getting there
Fly with one stop to Cairo, usually via Dubai, Doha or Istanbul, about 13–16 hours all in, then about 1 hour on to Hurghada. The Marsa Alam bays are 3–4 hours south by road.
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EG · Red Sea Governoratemarsa alam25.07°N 34.90°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Quieter Red Sea bays, seagrass-feeding turtles and desert meeting the reef.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingMarsa AlamEG, Red Sea Governorate
KLmarsa alam
≈ 7,527 km from KL, as the crow flies
Carlenia Beach is located at 26km Southern Qusayr City Scattered Clouds at the 1st day then it was sunny and fair on the other 3 days it was far awy from the bad weather northern Egypt :-)

Photo: Andrew A. Shenouda from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia · CC BY 2.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Marsa Alam is shorthand for a long stretch of Egypt's southern Red Sea coast, much quieter than Hurghada. The draw is the water: reefs, sheltered bays and seagrass beds where turtles graze.

Makan

  1. Grilled Red Sea fishFish with rice and lemon after a day in the water.Map ↗
  2. KoftaMeat skewers and flatbread, a change from the buffet.Map ↗
  3. Tahini and saladsSesame dip, chopped salad and bread, a light lunch.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Abu DabbabA sheltered bay with seagrass beds where green turtles feed, and now and then a dugong.Map ↗
  2. House reefsMany hotels sit on their own reef, reached from a jetty or the sand.Map ↗
  3. Wadi El GemalA national park of desert valleys, mangroves and islands, seen on a guided trip.Map ↗
  4. El QuseirAn old port town with an Ottoman fort, on the coast road from Hurghada.Map ↗

Good to know

  • The resorts are spread along well over 100 km of coast, so book airport transfers ahead.
  • Turtles and dugongs are wild: keep your distance and let them surface.
  • Meat is halal as standard in Egypt, but resorts that cater to Europeans sometimes serve pork, so read the buffet labels.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.