• The ochre facades of Hurghada Marina and the sailboat masts, mirrored in the calm morning water.

    Cheguevara

    Flambé steaks and a view of the harbour masts — a safe bet on the quay.

    HurghadaMarina, Hurghada

    €€ Mid-rangeSea view
  • A red cocktail with a straw, set facing the sun as it drops over the water.

    Granada Restaurant & Pub

    The smart sunset table: open sea view, cocktails, polished service.

    HurghadaHurghada

    €€€ High endSea view
  • Two whole sardines and two lemon wedges, in a metal dish.

    Grill & Chill

    Fresh grilled fish at the fairest price on the marina.

    HurghadaMarina, Hurghada

    €€ Mid-rangeSea view
  • A brick oven, flames at the back and dough puffing up on the hearth.

    Solo Restaurant

    Wood-fired pizzas and steaks, in a pleasant setting with no showing off.

    HurghadaHurghada

    €€ Mid-rangeFamily-friendly
  • A grilled beef steak, sliced, with herb butter.

    Luca's Pub & Grub

    A pub that serves proper cuts of meat, including a tomahawk for two.

    HurghadaMarina, Hurghada

    €€ Mid-rangeAlcohol served
  • A wooden deck built out over the water, tables set facing the sunset.

    Caribbean Bar — Bella Vista

    A bar with its feet in the water, built for the exact hour of sunset.

    HurghadaBella Vista, Hurghada

    €€ Mid-rangeSea view
  • Milk poured into a cappuccino, drawing a leaf in the foam.

    Caffeine Specialty Coffee

    Properly extracted specialty coffee — the one address in town that takes the subject seriously.

    HurghadaHurghada

    €€ Mid-rangeBest in the morning
  • The cafés of Abu Tig Marina

    El Gouna's marina and its promenade of terraces, from morning coffee to the last drink.

    HurghadaEl Gouna

    €€€ High endSea view
  • The shops of El Gouna

    Egyptian designers, homeware and beachwear in a pedestrian resort town.

    HurghadaDowntown El Gouna

    €€€ High endHandmade
  • El Gouna's beach clubs

    Beach clubs that start at sunset and end late.

    HurghadaEl Gouna

    €€€ High endSea view
  • A bazaar stall lit at night, hanging lanterns and rows of alabaster figurines spilling onto the pavement.

    Hurghada's Mamsha at night

    The pedestrian promenade where Hurghada gathers after sunset.

    HurghadaMamsha, Hurghada

    €€ Mid-rangeTerrace
  • The gilded face of an Egyptian sarcophagus, its eyes outlined in black.

    Hurghada Museum

    The Red Sea's first archaeological museum, opened in 2020 on the airport road.

    HurghadaHurghada

    €€ Mid-rangeHistoric venue
  • A large golden curtain lit from within, above the rows of empty red seats of a darkened hall.

    The El Gouna Film Festival

    A week of Arab and international cinema, on the Red Sea.

    HurghadaEl Gouna

    €€€ High endPaid entry
  • The Thistlegorm wreck

    Unmissable

    A British freighter sunk in 1941, its motorcycles and lorries still in the hold.

    HurghadaStrait of Gubal, Red Sea

    €€€ High endDiving / snorkelling
  • Whole fish laid out in rows on a fishmonger's stall, pink shrimp in the middle.

    Hurghada's fishing port

    Off the beaten track

    The morning auction, two streets from the hotels and a world from their mood.

    HurghadaSekalla, Hurghada

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • Safaga

    A windsurfing port and a black-sand beach reputed to be therapeutic.

    HurghadaSafaga

    €€ Mid-rangeSea view
  • Flat water and steady wind: the two reasons to come here.

    Kitesurfing in El Gouna

    A flat lagoon and thermal wind every afternoon, April to October.

    HurghadaEl Gouna

    €€€ High endSea view
  • The marina pontoons, boats moored in front of ochre houses.

    The tables of El Gouna marina

    Italian, Lebanese, Japanese, fish: the Red Sea's most international promenade.

    HurghadaAbu Tig Marina, El Gouna

    €€€ High endSea view
  • A shawarma spit turning in front of the grill

    Hurghada's shawarma counters

    Hurghada's late-night meal, three streets from the marina restaurants.

    HurghadaSekalla, Hurghada

    BudgetBudget
  • Zia Amelia

    The marina's Italian table, fresh pasta and a pizza oven.

    HurghadaAbu Tig Marina, El Gouna

    €€€ High endSea view
  • A margherita pizza on a wooden table, tomatoes and garlic beside it.

    Kiki's

    Pizzas and pasta in the heart of El Gouna's Downtown, at reasonable prices.

    HurghadaEl Gouna

    €€ Mid-rangeFamily-friendly
  • Meat turned with tongs, above the flames

    El Dahar's grills

    Hurghada's old quarter eats at its own tables, not the marina's.

    HurghadaEl Dahar, Hurghada

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • Sergeant-major fish above fire coral, in front of a shoal of small silver fish.

    Royal Seascope

    Hurghada's boat with portholes: see the coral without getting wet, or knowing how to swim.

    HurghadaHurghada Marina, town centre

    €€ Mid-rangeFamily-friendly
  • The promenade's wooden footbridge, its lamp posts, and the resort's arcades beyond.

    Old Town Sahl Hasheesh

    A piazza, paved lanes and a pier: the one place in Sahl Hasheesh where you walk.

    HurghadaSahl Hasheesh, some twenty kilometres south of Hurghada

    €€ Mid-rangeFamily-friendly