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Hurghada holidays introduce you to a scuba diving legend, with bundles of beaches, buzzy nightlife and a classy marina.
Red Sea frontrunner
Hurghada’s the place that put Egypt’s so-called Red Sea Riviera on the map. This Sixties child’s got a PhD in diving, and it’s got its mitts on around 40 kilometres of coastline. Over the last 50 years, Hurghada’s pretty much shaken off its fishing village roots, knocking together hotels and a flashy marina. But you can still get a slap of culture in the old town, El Dahar.
World-class diving
Most of the sandy beaches around here are divvied up among the plush hotels. But it’s what’s off-shore that drags in the punters. The waters of the Red Sea are stuffed full of marine life, so boat rides out to the coral reefs are in-demand. Moray eels, dolphins, turtles and clownfish – or Nemos – are all top spots.
Beach-hopping
The rest of Hurghada’s also handy for those wanting to see more of the Red Sea Coast. It’s a launch pad for trips to beach resorts like Makadi Bay, Sahl Hasheesh and Soma Bay. El Gouna’s also worth the half-an-hour drive – if only just to check out the bizarre, pattern-like coastline and watersports hotspot, Mangroovy Beach.
Best time to go to Hurghada
Sunshine is pretty much guaranteed in Hurghada. Spring and autumn see the mercury hitting the high 20s and early 30s, while in July and August you can count on scorching temperatures that sometimes creep up to 40°C. Head here in winter, meanwhile, and you can still expect shorts-and-T-shirt temperatures that hover in the early 20s. When it comes to rain, Hurghada only sees the odd drop now and again, usually in winter. Diving conditions are perfect pretty much year-round, although the water can get a bit cooler in December and January.
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