Originally a fishing village, Marsa Alam is being developed to take its share of Red Sea coast tourists.
Marsa Alam's main attraction is the fabulous beach, with rocks and desert dunes crashing into the ocean.
The town of Marsa Alam is unattractive even according to Egyptian standards.
Eat and sleep
There is only a limited selection of hotels here, most catering for package tourists. Individual travellers will find prices higher than what they are used to elsewhere in Egypt.
Marsa Alam sees many projects for tourism, and new hotels open every year.
You can get food in a couple of cafes in town, but it is all very simple.
Activities
Diving is the main attraction to Marsa Alam, and the local diving centres offer all necessary services.
Transportation
Marsa Alam now has an airport, but as of yet, there are only a limited number of flights in here. Last reports tell about chartered flights to Italy, and one weekly flight to Cairo.
The newly finished highway straight west to the Nile Valley should be open by now, but the last reports from a few years back indicate that it had not been actually opened yet. Check ahead before doing any thight planning.
Going Next
275 km north: Hurghada
215 km northwest: Safaga
130 km north: Quseir
150 km south: Berenice.
230 km west: Edfu
335 km southwest: Dendera/ Qena
350 km southwest: Luxor
