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Relax on Hurghada's beaches
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Hurghada beaches
Hurghada claims the prize of being the first commercial dive base in the Red Sea, dating back to the 1960s. Once an isolated and modest fishing village, it's now a thriving tourist resort devoted entirely to diving and snorkelling enthusiasts. With more than 40km (25 miles) of hotels along the beach, Hurghada can satisfy the needs of every visitor, and provide accommodation to match, from the simplest guest house to the finest five-star hotel. The resort is now home to more than 60,000 people and hundreds of hotels. It's also the gateway to Egypt's southern dive sites, including Safaga, Quseir and Marsa Alam.
Long stretches of natural sand beaches and a year-round dry and temperate climate make this area an ideal destination for sun seekers and watersports enthusiasts. Hurghada's waters are clear and calm for most of the year and are popular for watersports, in particular for scuba-diving and snorkelling, windsurfing, sailing and deep-sea fishing.
Most of Hurghada's dive sites are offshore and involve a boat ride of at least half an hour. The diving centres provide daily guided boat services as well as extended live-aboard trips. Weather conditions, especially the northerly winds, are a key factor on the daily choice of diving spots.
The luxury holiday villages provide all kind of activities for families. It is also possible to arrange day trips to the nearby islands, for snorkelling and fish barbecues. For those who prefer to stay dry but still want to discover the impressive underwater life in the Red Sea, Sinbad submarine is a unique experience: the yellow submarine transports up to 44 passengers and dives down to 22m (72ft) underwater.
There are also numerous trips or safaris on offer to explore the Red Sea Mountains by camel, jeep or quads.
Apart from many popular diving and snorkelling spots, like Giftun Island, there are not many places of interest within easy reach of Hurghada. However, travel agencies and tour operators around town organise day trips to Luxor, to visit the famous Karnak Temple, and to closer archaeological sites like the Coptic Christian Monasteries of Saint Anthony and Saint Paul and Mons Claudianus and Porphyritis, the sites of two old roman settlements. Four-wheel drive excursions to the desert are also popular.
El Gouna (www.elgouna.com), an artificially-created and privately-owned luxury hotel town is only 25km (16 miles) north of Hurghada. Its beauty comes not only from its charming design and tranquil atmosphere, but also from the fact that the town consists of several islands separated by channels and connected by bridges. Besides 14 hotels and two marinas, there are also private villas and apartments. With 3km (2 miles) of beachfront, tranquil lagoons and lush gardens, this self-sufficient resort offers extensive facilities to cater for any need: restaurants and bars, swimming pools, health clubs, kids clubs, diving, kite surfing, spas and golf courses.
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