Which Sea Is in Egypt: the Red Sea or the Mediterranean, and Where to Holiday

The short answer to which sea is in Egypt: if you are going to Hurghada or Sharm El Sheikh, the Red Sea. Egypt has no ocean, and most international visitors see the Mediterranean only on a trip to Alexandria. Below: how the two seas differ, where the water is warmer in winter, where the snorkelling is best and what to know before your first swim to a reef.

Which seas border Egypt

On the map Egypt looks like a square with two “sea” edges. The north coast, about 1,000 km long, faces the Mediterranean. The east coast, even longer, faces the Red Sea and its two gulfs, Suez and Aqaba. Between the gulfs lies the Sinai Peninsula, home to Sharm El Sheikh and Dahab.

The two seas are linked by the Suez Canal, but in looks, temperature and type of holiday they are completely different.

	Red Sea	Mediterranean
Resorts	Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh, Marsa Alam, Dahab, El Gouna, Safaga	Alexandria, El Alamein
Water in winter	21–23 °C	17–18 °C
Swimming season	All year round	June – September
Underwater life	Coral reefs, hundreds of fish species	No reefs, sandy bottom
Who holidays there	International tourists and Egyptians	Mostly Egyptians

The Red Sea: the sea of Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh

The Red Sea is one of the saltiest and clearest seas on Earth. Almost no rivers flow into it, so the water is clean, underwater visibility reaches 20–30 metres and coral reefs grow along the shores. Snorkellers and divers come from all over the world for them.

Resort	What the sea is like
Hurghada	Gently sloping sandy entry, shallow near the shore, often windy. The best reefs are around the islands, reached on boat trips
Sharm El Sheikh	Reefs right off the shore, often entered from a pontoon. Ras Mohammed National Park and Tiran Island are nearby
Marsa Alam	The warmest and quietest coast; you may meet turtles and dugongs
Dahab	The Gulf of Aqaba, the Blue Hole and the Canyon — spots for diving and freediving

In Sharm El Sheikh the main sea trip is Ras Mohammed National Park, where the reefs drop away in sheer walls.

What else to see in the resorts besides the sea is in “Things to do in Hurghada” and “Things to do in Sharm El Sheikh”.

The Mediterranean: Alexandria and El Alamein

The north coast is a completely different Egypt: white sand, turquoise water without reefs, waves and a cool breeze. Mostly Egyptians holiday here, and the swimming season runs from June to September. In winter the water cools to 17–18 °C and storms are frequent.

Visitors from the Red Sea usually come here on a trip to Alexandria — to the site of the ancient Pharos lighthouse, Qaitbay Citadel and the new Library of Alexandria.

Red Sea water temperature by month

Can you swim in Egypt in winter

Yes, people swim in the Red Sea all year round. In January–February the water is 21–23 °C, but the evening air cools to 15–17 °C, and Hurghada is often windy. If you feel the cold, choose Sharm El Sheikh or Marsa Alam and a hotel with a heated pool. Month-by-month weather is in “The best time to visit Egypt”.

Why is it called the Red Sea

The water is blue, like everywhere else. The name comes from antiquity, and there is no definitive explanation. There are several theories: the reddish mountains along the coast at sunset, seasonal algae blooms that colour the water, or an ancient tradition of naming the cardinal directions by colours, in which the south was red.

What to know about the sea in Egypt