Dahab

A small town facing the reef

Dahab was a Bedouin fishing village. Today it is a small seaside town known for diving and windsurfing, where travellers mix with residents from many countries, and which lends itself to long stays. The seafront promenade is easy to walk.

The town is made up of a few districts. Masbat is the tourist centre, with the promenade, cafés and most services. Mashraba continues the coast to the south. Laguna, further south, borders the wind sports lagoon and holds the first large hotels. Assalah is the residential district, largely Bedouin. Beyond, scattered hotels run north towards the Blue Hole and south towards Wadi Gnai.

Shore diving. In Dahab, diving is almost always from the shore: you reach the sites by 4x4 or by camel, cross the reef flat, the shallow coral platform along the coast, and descend. The narrow, continuous fringing reef drops quickly towards the great depths of the Gulf of Aqaba. The Canyon and Gabr el-Bint are, with the Blue Hole, among the best-known sites; near the lighthouse, an underwater museum of submerged statues provides a base for coral to grow. Several centres specialise in technical diving, as some sites lend themselves to it.

The Blue Hole: what you need to know

The Blue Hole is a sinkhole in the reef, a few kilometres north of Dahab. It is more than 100 m deep. On the seaward side, a tunnel about 26 m long, the Arch, links the hole to the open sea; its ceiling lies at around 55 m.

That is where its reputation comes from. Egypt's diving chamber, the CDWS (Chamber of Diving and Water Sports), sets 40 m as the maximum depth for recreational diving on air: the Arch lies beyond that, in the realm of technical diving, with its own training and gas mixes. On the shore, plaques remember the divers who lost their lives there.

The classic dive stays shallow: entry through a nearby crack, the Bells, then along the wall to the Saddle, a sill at around 6 to 7 m that opens the hole to the sea, finishing inside the Blue Hole. Snorkellers can explore the rim from the surface; when wind and waves pick up, Sabaro advises staying close to the edge or postponing the outing. The site is also a favourite training spot for freedivers, thanks to its depth reachable from the shore and its weak current.

The national park entry fee, 20 € per person per entry in October 2026, covers the Blue Hole and Ras Abu Galum; it is added to the price of the trip.

The lagoon wind

Dahab is one of the oldest windsurfing destinations on the Red Sea. The wind blows almost all day and, depending on where you are around the lagoon south of town, it comes side-shore or offshore. Three areas share the water:

• the lagoon, shallow, sheltered, with a sandy bottom, for beginners;
• outside the lagoon, a flat-water area with stronger wind, for experienced riders and freestylers;
• Napoleon Reef, for waves: a swell of up to 4 m that does not break, good for jumping.

According to the CDWS, the best months for windsurfing are May, June and September. In offshore wind, stay close to the coast or make sure a rescue boat is watching the area. Kitesurfing can be learned from age 12 and 40 kg, windsurfing from age 8. The water drops to about 22 °C in February and March: a full wetsuit is useful in winter, a rash vest is enough from April to November.

On land: desert, lagoon and local customs

The desert begins behind the town. Wadi Gnai, a small oasis to the south, draws climbers, ideally from October to April. Wadi al-Toalat can be explored by camel, with a sweeping view over Dahab. Ras Abu Galum, a protected area to the north, is reached by car and then small boat; its blue lagoon is good for snorkelling, and its camps let you stay the night. On Fridays, the market brings together craftspeople and home-cooked food.

Customs. Dahab is an Egyptian town: modest dress is expected in town, and topless sunbathing is not accepted. Drugs are illegal, even though they circulate.

Planning your stay

Getting there. Sharm el-Sheikh airport is about 90 km away, a little over an hour by road. Sabaro arranges the transfer by private car, in daylight: travelling at night outside towns and tourist sites should be ruled out. The free stamp issued on arrival in Sharm el-Sheikh covers Dahab for up to 15 days.

Where to stay. In the Sabaro selection, the Retac Qunay, formerly Le Méridien, is the only 5-star hotel in Dahab rated at least 4.5 out of 5 in the October 2026 survey, with five pools and a private beach. To do everything on foot, stay near Masbat, the centre.

How many days. Four nights leave time to dive the Blue Hole and the Canyon, spend a day at Ras Abu Galum and another in the desert. St Catherine and Mount Sinai combine well with Dahab, as in the Sabaro trip idea "Sinai, Mount Sinai, St Catherine's Monastery and Dahab, 7 days".

Beyond the coast. The northern part of South Sinai, beyond the St Catherine–Nuweiba road and outside the coastal areas, may be advised against depending on your ministry: its advice appears in the "Travel advice" table on this page. For the canyons and oases inland, Sabaro has the operator confirm the route before booking.

Diving safety. Dahab has a hyperbaric medical centre for decompression illness. Check that your insurance covers diving to the planned depth.