Here, the desert drops straight into the Red Sea, and the reefs begin where the dunes end. Port Ghalib, an integrated resort built around a deep-water marina on the Marsa Alam coast, serves as the maritime gateway to southern Egypt; ships moor within the marina, a few steps from the promenade. The international airport is a five-minute drive away, the first coral oasis just offshore. This port of call is above all for lovers of the sea, diving and stark horizons. The evenings are mild, winter and summer alike.

A Waterfront Carved From Rock

The waterfront promenade lines up cafés, shisha terraces, oil and spice shops and a covered souk where artisans sell copper lamps and Egyptian cotton. The whole complex, recent and well kept, can be explored on foot in a few minutes; photography enthusiasts will come at the end of the day, when the mountains of the Eastern Desert turn pink behind the yacht masts.

The Southern Reefs, Among Egypt's Finest

The region is renowned for reefs better preserved than those of the northern Red Sea. From the pontoons, day trips head for bays whose names divers repeat to one another: Marsa Mubarak, where dugongs sometimes graze in the seagrass beds, or the neighbouring coral gardens frequented by green turtles. A mask and snorkel are enough to float above clownfish, moray eels and schools of fusiliers; dive centres supervise introductory dives as well as more advanced explorations. The centres enforce strict rules — touch nothing, take nothing, keep your distance from the animals: the best guarantee of finding these living gardens again from one year to the next.

The Mineral Hinterland

The hinterland lends itself to getaways of a few hours: 4x4 or quad safaris through mineral valleys, stops at Bedouin camps over mint tea, and stargazing for evening departures. These simple, well-organized outings reveal landscapes of ochre mountains that most visitors to classic Egypt never suspect.

Farther Along the Camel Coast

Longer stops allow you to head south to Wadi el Gemal National Park, the "Valley of the Camels," which protects a granite desert, mangroves and beaches where turtles nest. Gazelles and seabirds can be observed with a guide, and the coastal road leading there offers a continuous procession of deserted bays. It is one of the few places in Egypt where you can, in the same day, walk in a mineral wadi bed and swim above an intact reef.

Planning Your Stop

• Morning: snorkelling or diving trip to a seagrass bay, back for lunch at the pier.
• Afternoon: stroll through the souk, swim at the beaches of neighbouring resorts open to passing visitors.
• At dusk: tea on the promenade facing the glowing mountains.

With short distances, there is no complex logistics: everything leaves from the pontoons or the excursion counters on the waterfront. Bring high-SPF sunscreen, a hat and protection against the dry, constant desert wind.

As the ship sets sail, the contrast strikes one last time: on one side the absolute aridity of the mountains, on the other the profusion of life on the reefs, separated by a simple line of foam. Marsa Alam is a reminder that Egypt is not just the stones of the pharaohs; beneath the surface, another monument has been building for millennia, coral by coral, in the blue silence of the Red Sea.