Dahab Holidays

Lying on the east coast of the Sinai Peninsula on the Gulf of Aqaba, Dahab is one of the oldest and most famous diving areas in the Red Sea offering some of the most exciting and spectacular diving holidays in Egypt.   Dahab (it means ‘gold’ in Arabic) was named for its golden beaches and it has a character all of its own that is reflected in the hotels and accommodation of the area.  Dahab’s atmosphere is radically different to Sharm El-Sheikh. Sharm is a bustling, built up, Egypt holiday resort, while Dahab is smaller and quieter and attracts a more ‘alternative’ and younger crowd. 

That is thanks partly to the Bedouin who settled there and who give Dahab much of its unique, relaxed atmosphere that combines tradition with hospitality.  The bars, restaurants, and cafes that line the beach offer relaxed seating ‘Bedouins on cushions and low sofas, enabling you to enjoy the sun, listen to the sea and do some quality people observing. 

Diving in Egypt does not get much better than Dahab.  Most reefs are shore dives making diving simple and free from exhaust and noise pollution from dive boats.  Dahab offers Egypt scuba diving holidays for all levels with gentle reef slopes and coral gardens for beginners to more challenging sites such as the Blue Hole or the Canyon.   If outstanding scuba diving in Egypt is what attracts you, Dahab should definitely be the top of your list.

Dahab Hotels

The better ones, like the Iberotel Dahabeya, are situated directly on the sandy beaches of this Red Sea resort.  The hotels and the resort in general are not as bustling or commercial as some other Red Sea diving hot spots like Sharm El Sheikh and offers relative serenity in an unspoilt landscape while still delivering a comfortable base for some of the best adrenalin fuelled watersports action and diving in the world.  The scenery surrounding the hotel is breathtaking, looking over the lagoon to the mountains of Sinai and Saudi Arabia as a backdrop. 

The bay on which the Iberotel Dahabeya is located is one of the most sought after destinations for windsurfers keen for the ultimate challenge.  Many other attractions, such as the Mountain of Moses (Mount Sinai), St. Catherine’s Monastery and the Coloured Canyon are also close to hand.  An array of sporting activities and health programmes are also available for those who prefer more active holidays.   Windsurfing is well catered for with facilities provided by most hotels, as well as in-house or affiliated Scuba diving schools and centres staffed by fully trained PADI instructors.  Those who prefer more passive entertainment can enjoy the shows, live music and dancing that are regularly presented in the evenings.

Diving in Dahab

Once a simple Bedouin encampment,   Dahab now boasts modern facilities and some new hotels but still retains its ethnic charm. Dahab sits on the Gulf of Aqaba and some of the deepest waters in the Red Sea are in the area, dropping in places to over 1,800 metres. . It is here you will get the opportunity to sight a busy reef life just a few meters beyond the fringing reef.  It’s a genuine all year round destination,  suitable for all levels of diver (apart from a couple of sites like the Blue Hole)  and you’ll need  only a 3mm  wetsuit in summer or a 5 – 7mm wetsuit in  winter .  Top dives in Dahab must be Eel Garden, Napoleon Reef, The Blue Hole and The Canyon.
Dahab Dive Sites

Blue Hole:  one of the most famous (and potentially dangerous) dive sites in the Red Sea situated 12 km north of Dahab. The Blue Hole has an almost circular shape 150 meters wide and 110 meters deep and connects with the sea through a tunnel 26 meters long at a depth of 52 meters. 

The Canyon:  takes its name from a long, narrow and very beautiful canyon created by an ancient volcanic activity. The huge fissure is now overgrown with hard and soft corals running north to south from the shallow reef just off shore to a depth of around 54 meters on the reef slope further out. It has a rich variety of marine life including Butterfly fishes and even juvenile Barracudas. On the most western point there is a saddle serving as an entry (and exit) point to the open sea and a coral garden with a good range of reef fish including Pufferfish, Snappers, Lyretail and Coral Grouper, Basslets and Red Sea Anthias.

Eel Garden:  named after the huge population of Garden Eels that feed here.  After swimming over the reef platform the entry to the site is through a small channel that leads to the main reef. The reef slope has an excellent selection of coral growth with both stony and soft species and this colourful and shallow reef boasts large numbers of Lionfishes, Damsels, Parrots, Groupers, Scorpion fishes and plenty of Sand Gobies. The whole area is great for photography.

Napoleon Reef: is a lagoon closed by a long and wide tongue of coral just south of Dahab.   It’s an excellent dive for beginners because of its shallow depth and at the tip of the coral reef there is a thick pinnacle around which swim all kind of tropical fishes and great coral formations rise from the hard coral base. Sting rays, Scorpion fish and Napoleon fish are common.

The Islands:  a dive site remarkable for the richness of its hard coral reef which creates a real labyrinth to dive through and the opportunity to observe a large variety of Porites and Brain corals.  Box fish and Crocodile fish are common and can be seen through the three pools and the sand road that lead to the small submerged hard coral island that gave the site its name. A resident school of juvenile Barracudas and blue fin Trevallies are also frequently spotted.

Lighthouse: is a beautiful reef close to shore with spectacular pinnacles decorated with corals and anemones visited by thousands of reef fishes. It is the perfect site for night dives.
To the right of the Light House, there is an extended area of turtle grass with sea horses, frog fish, moray eels, stone fish, and lion fish and if toy are lucky you may also spot sea turtle which live in the area.


Golden Blocks: a pleasant dive site with a mix of sandy areas and coral gardens.  The name of this dive site comes from the two impressive coral towers covered in Anthias where the dive begins.  This site is perfect for photography with a surprising wealth of marine life to capture on film.

Moray Gardens:  situated in a protected bay south of Dahab this is an easy and relaxed dive that can suit both beginners and experienced divers.  The dive starts with a sandy slope followed by a coral formation (a good place to look for Scorpion fishes and Anemone fishes) and then by an extensive patch of sea grass where Hawksbill Turtles have been seen. Heading north takes you to an interesting reef with sandy alleys streaming down and a coral slope with a black coral at 30 meters. On the shallower part of the reef there is an amazing coral garden with numerous table corals and colourful pinnacles. This section of the reef is also the perfect to spot octopus.

Three Pools: the name comes from the three real natural pools formed in the reef. These pools have a sea grass and sandy bottom no deeper than 4 meters.  After passing the third pool you’ll reach the open sea with a hard coral slope and sandy alley.  It’s a great place to encounter Trigger fishes, Butterfly fishes and Puffers and is suitable for snorkellers too.

The Caves:  is the last of the series of sites on the southern coast of Dahab before the Gabr El Bint National Park. It’s based on two shallow and large open front caverns, deeply undercutting the reef table close to shore and covered with soft corals, sponges and black corals with a resident huge Pufferfish and Peppered Morays. The dive along of the reef sections on both sides of the caverns is as interesting as the caves. Inlets and surf tubes lead onto the sloping body of the main reef where a large cover of hard and soft coral and lively population of reef and schooling fishes can be seen.

Beaches & Water Sports In Dahab

Beaches in Dahab are pristine and plentiful.  The reliable, strong and clean winds of Dahab also make it a very popular destination for windsurfers flocking to the sunshine in the winter months.  On average, Dahab gets 300 days a year of wind above Force 4, so both Windsurfers and Dinghy sailors will appreciate the consistently breezy, yet sheltered bay. The temperatures in the summer can reach as high as 40°C but the humidity is generally low. Most Dahab hotels usually have their own private beaches exclusively available to hotel guests.   Hotels and resorts in Dahab also offer a large choice of relaxed watersports and sea related activities, from banana rides to snorkelling excursions, pedal boats, canoeing, catamarans, and glass-bottom boats.  Some resorts offer also parasailing.