Dahab | South Sinai

An oasis in the Red Sea

Dahab is a small Beduine town in Egypt, to the north of Sharm El Sheik.

In 1990 Dahab began to open up to the world. Situated between the desert mountains of the Sinai Peninsula and the depths of The Red Sea, Dahab provides the opportunity to enjoy a huge variety of sports. From diving, freediving and climbing to hiking in the desert, windsurfing and kite surfing. Dahab has it all.

Nowadays Dahab has become a must -visit site for divers and freedivers alike, largely due to the biodiversity of its waters. Furthermore, with its crystal-clear water and distinct lack of currents, it offers perfect diving conditions almost all year round. In addition, Dahab´s bohemian spirit and welcoming atmosphere make it a place of respect and open coexistence, where everyone is welcome.

Dahab is a vibrant town centered around the sea. As a result, there are multiple ways to spend the day at one with nature. It is a quiet place with its own special charm.

Dahab is a town with endless possibilities. Whether it´s a dinner in the desert, a trip to Mount Sinai, a morning spent snorkeling over the reef or a visit to the world-famous Blue Hole, the undoubted main attraction of Dahab. An underwater cathedral just a few metres off the coast, it is considered to be one of the world’s natural wonders. What we know for sure is that Dahab won´t disappoint!

flights to Egypt

The closest airport to Dahab is Sharm El Sheikh International. From Spain, most flights make a stopover in either Istanbul, Turkey or in Italy, most commonly in Rome or Milan. Once you have landed in Sharm El Sheikh, we can organise your transfer from the airport to Dahab, which is just over an hour away by car.

visa

The entrance visa to Egypt costs $ 25 and is processed at the airport upon arrival. This visa can be paid in either euros or dollars. It´s important to remember, credit cards are not accepted.

If you fly into Sharm El Sheik and your plan is to remain in the Sinai Peninsula for the duration of your visit, there is an option which allows you to stay for up to 14 days without paying the visa fee. However, if your plan is to visit other parts of Egypt during your stay, this no longer applies.

For longer visas from Spain, consult the Egyptian embassy or consulate in Spain.

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how to get to Dahab

FROM CAIRO:

536 km separate the hustle and bustle of Cairo from the peace and quiet of Dahab. There are several options to make the journey:

Bus: The journey takes roughly 8 hours and is one of the cheapest options. The companies that run this route are We Bus, Go Bus and Blue Bus.
Taxi: Generally not the most recommended option and prices can vary massively. The trip takes between 6 and 8 hours.
Plane: Several local airlines fly daily from Cairo to Sharm El Sheik. EgyptAir, Nile Air and Air Cairo are some of the most notable. The flight lasts less than an hour and generally costs between 40 and 60 euros.

FROM SHARM EL SHEIK:

Dahab is approximately 100 kilometres from Sharm El Sheik. The connecting road is in very good condition. The different options are:

Bus: This is a well-travelled road with several daily buses going in each direction. The bus leaves from the centre of Sharm El Sheik, not from the airport.
Taxi: This is undoubtedly the fastest option. The fare is approximately 30 euros.

FROM HURGADA:

Plane: There are several flights from Hurgada to Sharm El Sheik. Some are direct, whereas the others require a stopover in Cairo.

money

The currency of Egypt is the Egyptian pound (le). In Dahab you can easily get cash out from ATMs with your debit or credit card. Most things can be paid for by card. Another option is to change money directly in a bureau de exchange or in banks.

language

Dahab’s official language is Egyptian Arabic. Even so, most locals can get by in English.

weather

From December to February, the water temperature drops to around 22 degrees. From April, it steadily rises and reaches a high of around 29 degrees in August. From September, it gradually begins to drop again.

The warm season is from May to October, with July and August being the hottest. The weather is dry year-round, although there are numerous days each year when the wind does pick up. Rainfall is very scarce, at the end of the day, we are in the desert!

health

Before travelling we always recommend getting travel insurance. In Dahab there are pharmacies and hospitals.

dive sites

Dahab has more than 20 different dive sites, most of which are accessible from the shore. The health of the reefs and the amount of coral make for great biodiversity in the area.

mapa de los diferentes puntos de buceo que hay en Dahab, Egipto

Totally isolated from mass tourism, the nature reserve offers 6 different dive sites. When diving, you enter a huge, bright, coral garden and get the chance to see turtles, manta rays, octopuses, mind-blowing sea sponges and large pinnacles visited by countless reef fish.

Ras Abu Galum Nature Reserve is only accessible by boat from The Blue Hole. The journey time depends on sea conditions, but it usually takes between 20 and 30 minutes.

Requirements: open water diver

The Dahab Blue Hole is considered to be one of the world’s natural wonders. A 120-metre-deep sink hole; it is a vertical, underwater cave, which lies just metres off the coast. Most sink holes are notorious for having an almost perfectly round shape and drop to great depths while maintaining the shape of their walls. Some people mistakenly refer to The Blue Hole as “the most dangerous diving point in the world”, but this couldn´t be further from the truth.

The problematic part of the Blue Hole is the infamous “Arch”, a 25-metre arch that connects the interior of the Blue Hole to the open sea, at a depth of around 55 metres. This dive includes technical diving, which requires the necessary experience and knowledge.

Requirements: Advanced open water diver and at least one check dive in Dahab.

On the road connecting Dahab and the Blue Hole is the Canyon, a must-visit for all fans of cave diving. The Canyon is a rock formation with 10-metre-high walls and an upper chamber, which is almost completely closed off. As we dive up from the depths, we come up into a coral dome where we find various schools of glassfish.

We enter at its largest point at about 20 metres in depth. The diving inside the Canyon is straightforward and the site offers both an easy entry and exit point. As a result, speciality cave diving is not a requirement.

Requirements: advanced open water diver

This dive spot takes its name from the numerous garden eels that live there. In addition to this swarm of eels, there is an unusual coral garden at a depth of 30 metres, where the light starts to become scarce.

This dive should be done at high tide.

Requirements: open water diver

The Lighthouse is found in Asalah’s bay, in the centre of Dahab. It is protected from the wind and the currents, so you can dive here throughout the year. This is where the iconic Dahab elephant is found, which was built with plastic and sunk as a protest against the use of plastic in Dahab.

Prerequisites: open water diver

The Islands is one of our favourite dives. It is relatively simple and should always be done at high tide. The area is formed by three large pinnacles, which have formed together to create a colourful, coral maze of chambers and lagoons. One of these lagoons is home to thousands of barracudas as well as groupers, blowfish and napoleon fish. This dive is accessible to all certification levels.

Prerequisites: open water diver

Moray Garden leaves little to the imagination. As its name suggests, moray eels of all shapes and sizes can be found at this dive site. The other area we visit is known as “Golden Blocks”, named after the two golden, coral towers which can be seen emerging from the surface at low tide.

Prerequisites: open water diver

This dive site is named after Umm Sid, whose son, Sid, was a local fisherman. Calm conditions are needed for an easy entry. It happens to be one of the few diving spots in Dahab where we frequently find currents.

After descending approximately 18 metres down a sandy slope, we find impressive table corals. For those who already have their deep diving certification, we continue down to 36 metres, where we encounter incredible gorgonian corals.

Requirements: advanced open water diver

The caves dive site is to the south of Dahab and is the last one we can reach by land (further south the options are by boat). We appreciate the stunning landscape as the mountains roll down to the sea and visit two, easily accessible caves. The dive continues through an outer garden of both hard and soft coral.

We can only dive here at high tide and in calm conditions. At low tide waves can make the entry and exit quite complicated. The entry into the water requires a big step off the ledge.

Requirements: advanced open water diver

This is the only spot where we enter the water from the boat. The coral reef is practically intact, so there is a high marine biodiversity. This is a great place to observe pelagic species and some of the healthiest gorgonian corals in The Red Sea.

A valley full of coral heads attracts numerous species of reef, dense schools of colourful anthias and glassfish; to name just a few of the species.

Prerequisites: open water diver

Do you still have doubts?

MAKARA

we dance, dance, dance underwater