Egypt Travel Guide

Situated about 20 km before Sharm el-Sheikh lies Sinai's most southern point. It got its name from the local fishermen for a cliff that looks like a man's profile and became Egypt's first national park in 1989. It is also known as "the jewel in the crown of the Red Sea" being very popular between divers. It occupies 480 sq km of land and sea. It includes even Tiran Island and the shore lines between Sharm el-Sheikh harbour and Nabq Protectorate. Hotels cannot develop the area and only 12% of the park is accessible to visitors. This park is inundated with almost 50.000 tourists every year. The main reason are the marvelous coral reef ecosystems. The most ancient of these fossil reefs date back 2 some 2 million years. You can find almost all 1.000 Red Sea's species of fish here including sharks.

The park's entrance is about 20 km away from the reefs. There is a visitors centre from where you can get information and there's even a restaurant.
At the park's laboratory , a pink trail leads to Khashaba Beach and a camping area. Yellow arrows lead to Marsa Bareika's sandy beaches and calm waters , excellent for snorkelling and safe for children.
Blue arrows take you to Main Beach which is the most crowded place but also the best place to see vertical coral walls.
Brown arrows lead to Aqaba Beaches, which border Eel Garden , an amazing place, named after a colony of garden eels 20 metres down. This is another great place for snorkelling.
Orange arrows lead to the Shark Observatory , an area situated on the top of a cliff from where you can see sharks feeding themselves.
Red arrows lead to Yolanda Bay , which is another beach very good for snorkelling and diving.
Green arrows lead to the Mangrove Channel and Hidden Bay which are both good for bird-watching and they also lead to Old Quay , an amazing vertical reef which is accessible to snorkellers and divers.

Sleeping:

You can get camping permits which cost E65/person/night) from the entrance gate or the visitors centre but remember that camping is allowed only in designated area.
Remember to respect the envinronment the entire period you're staying there and clean up when you leave.

Getting there & around:

You can hire a taxi for the whole day from Sharm el-Sheikh but don't expect to pay less than E150. The best option is to join one of the many day tours by jeep or by bus from Sharm el-Sheikh and Na'ama Bay.