Dahab Beach

Lying on the eastern coast of the Sinai Peninsula, Dahab Lagoon has made a name for itself in the scuba diving world. The lagoon is formed by thin fingers of land that together create a natural harbour and protect it from the Gulf of Aqaba. It gets its name from the Arabic for gold, a colour which perfectly defines the desert landscape of bare hills that surround it. Its main attraction is its warm, subtropical waters.

Roughly 50 miles northeast of Sharm el Sheikh and its international airport, Dahab has a more authentic air than much larger Sharm can muster. Until very recently, the Dahab Lagoon was a Bedouin outpost, and it retains much of this feel, particularly to the north of Dahab town.

To the south is the main tourist area, which includes many of the 50 dive shops operating in the area. The town is able to support such a large number of scuba diving operations because it is situated so close to well-known dive sites within the Ras Abu Gallum diving area, such as the Blue Hole dive site. Dahab is also known for its shallow water windsurfing. The reliable winds that have attracted windsurfers are now starting to lure kite surfers too.