A calm, contemporary five star All Inclusive resort within Madinat Coraya, about ten minutes from Marsa Alam airport. Expect spacious rooms and family suites, two heated pools with a swim-up bar, one of the Red Sea’s finest house reefs off the jetties, Coraya Divers on hand and the sandy sweep of Coraya Bay a short stroll away.
A polished adults only retreat for guests aged 16 and over on the sheltered sands of Coraya Bay, about ten minutes from Marsa Alam airport. Expect 290 contemporary rooms including around 80 with swim-up terraces, five pools, the Mividaspa, and one of Egypt’s best house reefs with Coraya Divers on site, all on a generous All Inclusive basis.
A polished five star All Inclusive on Marsa Mares Bay near Port Ghalib, Jaz Elite Amara opened in December 2023 and pairs a sandy beach and seven heated pools with a house reef known for green turtles and visiting dugongs. Stylish swim-up rooms, the Mivida Spa and a PADI dive centre on the beach make it a serene southern Red Sea base.
An adults only five star retreat on the sheltered sands of Coraya Bay, ten minutes from Marsa Alam airport. Expect 800 metres of beach, a superb house reef with its own snorkelling jetty, three pools including one heated in winter, a Mividaspa run spa and All Inclusive dining with a la carte evenings. Calm, grown up and quietly special.
A graceful five star All Inclusive resort on the marina waterfront at Port Ghalib, about ten minutes from Marsa Alam airport. Arabian architecture, lagoon style pools with winter heating and a private sandy beach with a genuine house reef you can snorkel straight from the jetty. Generous rooms from 35 square metres, Italian a la carte dining and a calm spa complete the picture.
An adults only 16+ five star on the sheltered Marsa Mares bay near Port Ghalib, JAZ Costa Mares pairs a soft sandy beach and a superb house reef with All Inclusive dining across three restaurants, two pools including one heated in winter, and the Mivida Spa. Resident turtles and dugongs graze just offshore, around fifteen minutes from Marsa Alam airport.
Newly built at Ras Dory on Marsa Alam’s quiet southern shore, this five star SUNRISE resort pairs its generous Grand Select all inclusive with five heated pools, three restaurants and eight bars. A long jetty drops you onto a genuine house reef, with turtles and rays among the regulars. Around 90 minutes from the airport, and a natural partner for a Nile cruise.
A five star All Inclusive resort above sheltered Coraya Bay, around 15 minutes from Marsa Alam airport. Moorish style buildings and gardens step down to a sandy beach and one of the Red Sea’s finest house reefs, with a jetty for snorkellers and divers. Four pools, three heated in winter, and speciality dining across the Madinat Coraya village complete the picture.
A relaxed five star all inclusive on the sheltered curve of Coraya Bay, around ten minutes from Marsa Alam airport. Expect 307 generous rooms, four pools heated through winter, two buffet restaurants plus Italian, Oriental and Asian à la carte tables at the souk, and a sandy beach whose jetty drops you straight onto one of the Red Sea’s loveliest house reefs.
A five star All Inclusive resort beside Madinat Coraya, around ten minutes from Marsa Alam airport. Low rise buildings thread through vast landscaped gardens down to a sandy beach where a living house reef starts right off the jetty. Expect four restaurants, pools heated in the cooler months, the Mividaspa and a PADI five star dive centre on site.
A relaxed all inclusive resort on its own 800 metre beach just south of Port Ghalib, around 15 minutes from Marsa Alam airport. A 368 metre jetty leads to one of Egypt’s finest house reefs, with Extra Divers on site, heated winter pools, a spa and five restaurants, and three à la carte dinners included in every all inclusive stay.
A five star all inclusive resort inside the Abu Dabbab marine park on Egypt’s southern Red Sea coast, about 30 to 40 minutes from Marsa Alam airport. Expect calm, low rise rooms and suites, a sandy beach with a snorkelling jetty over a superb coral house reef, an on site dive centre, heated winter pools and the Wellbeing Spa.
A five star All Inclusive resort on 175 metres of private sand in the Port Ghalib area, around ten minutes from Marsa Alam airport. Days drift between heated pools, mature gardens and a jetty over the house reef, with themed buffets, Italian and Bedouin dining, a calm adults only spa and an on site dive centre.
Marsa Alam sits on Egypt’s southern Red Sea coast, a string of quiet bays and gold-sand beaches that feels a world away from the busier resorts further north. Roughly 270 kilometres south of Hurghada, it remains one of the more natural and unhurried stretches of the Egyptian coastline, where desert mountains meet some of the clearest, warmest water in the Red Sea. Many visitors arrive through Marsa Alam International Airport (RMF), which lies a short drive from the main resort areas and gives the region its own easy gateway rather than a long transfer from elsewhere.
What sets Marsa Alam apart is its pace. Where Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh built up around lively promenades and nightlife, Marsa Alam grew more slowly, and the result is a coastline of low-rise resorts spaced generously along the shore. The two main developed areas are Port Ghalib, a purpose-built marina town close to the airport with a waterfront of restaurants and shops, and Coraya Bay (Madinat Coraya), a sheltered horseshoe bay known for its easy swimming and snorkelling. Between them and beyond, the feel stays relaxed and scenic, with the Eastern Desert rolling down to the sea.
The southern Red Sea is the real draw, and Marsa Alam is widely regarded as one of Egypt’s finest places to get in the water. Many resorts have their own house reefs you can reach straight from the beach, while the offshore sites are the stuff of diving legend. Elphinstone Reef is a celebrated drift dive along steep coral walls. Abu Dabbab is a shallow seagrass bay famous for resident green turtles and the rare, gentle dugong. At Samadai Reef, often called Dolphin House, a horseshoe-shaped reef shelters a pod of spinner dolphins, while Sataya, also known as Dolphin Reef, lies further south and tends to host larger, wilder gatherings. The reefs here are notably healthy, and the marine life feels close at hand.
Above the waterline, the appeal is simple: warm, dependable sunshine, soft sand and a sea that stays inviting all year, with water temperatures roughly between 22 and 29 degrees. Spring and autumn bring comfortable warmth that suits both lazy beach days and long stretches in the water, while the winter months stay mild and bright when much of Europe is grey. Summer is hotter and best for those who love real heat. For diving and snorkelling, the shoulder seasons are particularly rewarding, with excellent visibility and pleasant air temperatures.
A Marsa Alam beach stay pairs beautifully with a few unforgettable nights on the Nile aboard Classic Holidays’ own ships, the MS Royal Princess or Classic Blue Shadow IV, combining the temples of Upper Egypt with the calm of the southern Red Sea in one seamless holiday.
Marsa Alam lies on Egypt’s southern Red Sea coast, roughly 270 kilometres south of Hurghada. It is one of the quieter and more natural stretches of the Egyptian coastline, with desert mountains running down to clear, warm water.
Most visitors arrive through Marsa Alam International Airport (RMF), which sits a short drive from the main resort areas such as Port Ghalib and Coraya Bay. This gives the region its own convenient gateway rather than a long transfer from another city.
Marsa Alam is generally calmer and more low-key. Where Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh grew up around lively promenades, Marsa Alam has a more spaced-out, natural feel, with resorts set along quiet bays and a strong focus on the sea and its reefs.
Yes. The southern Red Sea is considered some of Egypt’s finest underwater territory. Many resorts have house reefs reachable from the beach, and famous offshore sites include Elphinstone Reef, Abu Dabbab, Samadai (Dolphin House) and Sataya (Dolphin Reef). Reefs here are notably healthy and the marine life is abundant.
The area is well known for marine encounters. Abu Dabbab bay is famous for green turtles and the rare dugong that graze its seagrass, while Samadai and Sataya reefs shelter pods of spinner dolphins. Sightings are never guaranteed, as these are wild animals, but the chances here are among the best in the Red Sea.
Both are reefs associated with spinner dolphins and are sometimes called Dolphin House. Samadai is the closer of the two to Marsa Alam, while Sataya lies further south and usually involves a longer boat trip but can offer larger, wilder dolphin gatherings.
The two main developed areas are Port Ghalib, a purpose-built marina town near the airport with a waterfront of restaurants and shops, and Coraya Bay (Madinat Coraya), a sheltered horseshoe bay popular for easy swimming and snorkelling. Other resorts are spread along quiet bays nearby.
No. Sahl Hasheesh is a separate resort bay located near Hurghada, well to the north. Marsa Alam is much further south along the coast, so the two are quite distinct destinations.
Marsa Alam enjoys warm, sunny weather for much of the year. Spring and autumn bring comfortable warmth ideal for both the beach and the water, while winter stays mild and bright. Summer is hotter and suits those who love real heat. For diving and snorkelling, the shoulder seasons offer excellent conditions.
The Red Sea here stays inviting throughout the year, with water temperatures roughly between 22 and 29 degrees depending on the season. It is one of the reasons the region is such a dependable choice for sun and sea.
Yes, and it is a wonderful pairing. A relaxing Marsa Alam beach stay works beautifully alongside a Nile cruise aboard Classic Holidays’ own ships, the MS Royal Princess or Classic Blue Shadow IV, letting you enjoy the temples of Upper Egypt and the calm of the southern Red Sea in one holiday.
Very much so. While the diving draws many visitors, the long sandy beaches, calm bays and unhurried pace make it an excellent choice for a simple, restful beach holiday in the sun.
Classic Holidays when selling travel arrangements is a trading name of Co-op Travel Services Ltd. Classic Holidays is an Accredited Body Member of Co-operative Travel Consortium. (ABTA P7508, ATOL 12904).
Your Financial Protection: Book with Confidence. Classic Holidays is a Member of ABTA. ABTA and ABTA Members help holidaymakers to get the most from their travel and assist when things don’t go according to plan. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct.
All of the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme but ATOL protection does not apply to non-flight holiday and travel services offered on this website. Classic Holidays will provide you with information on the protection that applies in the case of each holiday and travel service offered before you make your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.caa.co.uk