Nuweiba, Taba and Abu Galum

A coast of Bedouin camps

From Nuweiba to Taba, the road follows the Gulf of Aqaba for about 65 km, between the sea and a rust-coloured mountain range. Camps and small hotels are scattered along the shore, from the simplest to the more comfortable: palm or bamboo huts on the sand, a few steps from turquoise water. Many of these camps are owned or run by Bedouins. Basata, an eco-lodge opened in 1986 on the Taba road, is one example.

In the evening, people gather around the fire, with stories, poetry, music and sweet tea flavoured with marmareya, mountain sage, or habak, a mint-like herb. Bedouin women go from camp to camp selling their crafts.

Nuweiba is a small port town, once a resting place for pilgrims on the road to Mecca and home to the Tarabin and Muzeina Bedouin tribes. Occupied by Israel after the 1967 war, it grew after the withdrawal, when the port was built. It has three parts: the port, where ferries leave for Jordan, with several hotels between the town and the quays; Muzeina, the centre, with banks, a hospital and shops; and Tarabin, about 3 km away, with its beach restaurants.

Abu Galum, south of Nuweiba on the road to Dahab, has been a protected area since 1992: 500 km² of mountains dropping into the sea, coral reefs and valleys where the Nubian ibex lives. It is most often reached from Dahab, by car and then boat.

Diving far from the chambers

In Nuweiba, almost all dive sites are reachable from the shore: a 4x4 drops the divers at the site, there is Bedouin tea or coffee between dives, and you are back at the hotel in the afternoon. The gardens of hard and soft coral shelter razorfish and stonefish and, for those who look closely, frogfish, seahorses and nudibranchs. The Abou Lou Lou House reef suits beginners and experienced divers alike and serves as a cleaning station for larger fish.

In Taba, sites are mostly reached by boat, some from the hotel beach. The sea is generally calm with no current, which makes it a good place to learn, and it is home to a rare frogfish species and several seahorse species. Sixteen mooring buoys equip the busiest sites; Pharaoh's Island and the Fjord are the best known.

The rule of caution. There is no decompression chamber in Nuweiba or Taba: in case of an accident, a foreign diver is evacuated to Eilat, in Israel. On the Egyptian side, the nearest is in Dahab. Sabaro therefore advises dives without mandatory decompression stops, and insurance that explicitly covers medical evacuation to a neighbouring country.

Taba, Pharaoh's Island and the border

Taba is the last Egyptian town at the head of the gulf, facing Eilat. Claimed by both Israel and Egypt after the 1979 peace treaty, it was awarded to Egypt by an international arbitration commission, and the Egyptian flag was raised there on 19 March 1989. Taba Heights, a resort about 20 km south, holds some of the hotels. The surrounding mountains have been a protected area since 1998.

Pharaoh's Island lies about 250 m offshore, a short boat ride away. Its citadel, 65 m by 32.5 m, controlled the passage between the three shores of the Gulf of Aqaba. The Crusaders had built a fortress there and held passing pilgrims to ransom; Saladin seized it in 1171 and had it rebuilt. Behind the ramparts, restored in 1986, you can visit the governor's residence, a three-room hammam, a mosque, cisterns cut into the rock, a pigeon loft for the post and an arrowhead workshop dated by an inscription of Saladin. The island has been on the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Tentative List since 2003, the step before a possible inscription.

The border. Taba lies at the end of the Suez–Taba line: north of this line, travel is advised against; your ministry's advice appears in the "Travel advice" table on this page. The border crossing with Israel may close at short notice. For travellers entering at Taba and staying in Taba, the border tax is 20 US dollars; to go further within Sinai, it is 120 dollars, with a stamp for up to 15 days; these amounts have risen several times since March 2026.

Planning your stay

Getting there. Sabaro arranges arrival through Sharm el-Sheikh airport, about 170 km from Nuweiba, two hours by road, in daylight: travelling at night outside towns and tourist sites should be ruled out. The free stamp issued at Sharm el-Sheikh airport covers Nuweiba and Taba for up to 15 days. On the coast, secured hotels are recommended.

The interior. Palm groves, oases and springs are hidden in the mountains, and you need a guide to find them. Depending on your ministry, the northern part of South Sinai beyond the St Catherine–Nuweiba road, outside the coastal areas, may be advised against ("Travel advice" table on this page): before any trip to the canyons or oases, Sabaro has a local operator confirm the route.

Crossing to Jordan. The Nuweiba–Aqaba ferry crosses the gulf in about 1 h 30 by fast boat, plus an hour for boarding; arrive two to three hours early for formalities. It opens the way to Petra. On the way back, you need a standard Egyptian visa if your stay exceeds 15 days or extends beyond Sinai: 30 US dollars at Nuweiba, 35 dollars at Taba Heights, which is also served from Aqaba.

How many days. Three or four nights are enough for the rhythm of the camps, two or three mornings of diving and Pharaoh's Island. With Petra, add two days.