This true paradise is located on the coast of the wonderful Red Sea, and it is famous for its unique exotic beauty. This cozy corner of the earth is suitable for relaxing with both children and friends. There are a lot of first-class hotels, parks, restaurants, casinos and other tourist attractions. Particularly noteworthy are diving centers.
Diving is very popular and well developed in Sharm El Sheikh due to the presence of a large number of isolated reefs in the sea. Hundreds of tour operators of this resort city specialize in organizing exciting trips for scuba diving enthusiasts. The duration of such trips can last from 1 to 7 days.
Before we move on to a more detailed description of diving in Sharm El Sheikh, we will briefly introduce the resort itself.
Sharm el Sheikh
This is the real name of the city, but by mistake it is often called Sharm el-Sheikh. Ofira they called him until 1982. The Egyptian resort city is located on the southern edge of the Sinai Peninsula. This is one of the regional centers of South Sinai (governorship).
The city is known from the time of the Ottoman Empire, and during the years of the presence of the Israelis here (from 1967 to 1982) it was called Ophira. Being a small village in the 1970s, thanks to the wonderful climate and convenient location, the richness of the natural world and the active development of the area, the city began to gain more and more popularity. It should be noted that Sharm el-Sheikh is very different from the typical Egyptian resorts. Most likely, it resembles European holiday destinations in the Mediterranean.
Distance to Cairo on the highway is 500 km, and the length of the flight by plane is 385 km.
Diving in Egypt
Sharm el Sheikh is a resort area created for scuba diving. There are many interesting places that can impress even experienced divers.
The most popular places for underwater exploration:
- Territory of Ras Mohammed (National Park). Life in the depths of the region is incredibly beautiful. There are many coral reefs of extraordinary beauty and marine life. You can see mountains made of petrified sand, and underwater caves. Here, the most daring can dive even with sharks.
- Strait and Tiran Island. This is one of the favorite places for divers. Here you can see the most unusual sights: wrecks and boats that have long sunk, sea arches, an amphitheater with sharks. It is possible to swim with unusual clown fish and explore some picturesque plateaus.
- Spaces with the Dunraven and Thistlegorm Wrecks.
Submarines and other adventures
Diving in Sharm El Sheikh is a scuba diving not only among the fantastically beautiful reefs, but also the study of long-sunken ships.
- Dunraven is a ship that crashed in 1876 and remained at a depth of 18-28 meters. Its fragments show the history of that time, and the nearby coral reefs add a special aesthetic to underwater travel.
- Tistlegorm is a warship that sank during World War II. Although it has been quite a long time since the tragedy, motorcycles, cars and other equipment, cargo that did not reach the destination still lie here. It is important to note that such dives are dangerous. In order to see this unique underwater museum, you need to hone your diving skills in other, easier areas.
Diving in Sharm el-Sheikh allows you to make fascinating and exciting dives on the island of the Pharaohs, in the Bay of Turtles and Shark Bay.
The cost of such sea voyages depends on the territory of development and duration. On average, prices for one dive are from $ 30 to $ 50 (1 970 - 3 300 rubles), but there is also a system of discounts. Slightly lower prices for children - about $ 20-25 (1,300 - 1,650 rubles). In some centers, the cost of diving includes either equipment, or the services of a guide and instructor, as well as meals and a yacht.
Diving centers Sharm El Sheikh
There are many centers in the city that provide services for diving enthusiasts. Many of them have international certificates and instructors who speak different languages.
PADI (Russian Center)
This is a favorite diving center for Slavic tourists. This is not only a club, but also a professional school. With the help of an instructor, you can make the first dive and get the basic skills of scuba diving.
The program, worth $ 45 (2 970 rubles), includes the following services:
- instructor services;
- boat trip;
- equipment;
- immersion;
- drinks and lunch.
Red sea scuba diving
The club offers programs designed for a variety of skill levels. In addition, there is the opportunity to dive in the rivers of the Red Sea, on a home reef and in coastal areas.
Camel Dive Club & Hotel
This is a mini town (hotels, bars, restaurants, shops and dive centers). And this club offers a variety of diving training services. The cost is 40 euros (3,000 rubles) for the first half of the day, then a discount system is applied. However, equipment, instructor services, meals and other additional services are not included in this amount.
Advice
As noted above, diving classes in Sharm El Sheikh are also available for beginners. Reviews of tourists in most cases enthusiastic.
According to diving enthusiasts, it is enough to complete 3-4 dives with the help of an instructor to achieve the required level. To do this, you should use the services of the centers presented above, in which a diver certificate is issued, which allows not only to significantly expand the possibilities for studying the sea depths of other seas, but also gives the right to receive a wide list of discounts.