Photo: Jacek Lesniowski, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, colour-graded
Egypt's Red Sea · Destination guide
A marina village laid out on the desert shore, with Marsa Alam's airport a short drive away: yachts, a palm-lined promenade and a warm sea in January.
Get your bearings
Port Ghalib is a small marina resort on Egypt's southern Red Sea shore, roughly 65 kilometres north of Marsa Alam town. The land was bare desert until the developers arrived. What stands there now is a yacht harbour, a promenade of arched buildings with cafés and shops, a beach and a run of hotels. The attraction is simple: Marsa Alam International Airport (RMF) is only a few kilometres off, so very little of your holiday goes on the road.
Think of it as a place to stay rather than a place to see. You land, check in within 10–15 minutes and can be on the waterfront for supper. The bigger sights of the south, such as Dolphin House and the dugong bays, are further down the coast, and our Marsa Alam guide explains them. About 75 kilometres north, the old harbour town of El Quseir makes a good day out when you want something with a past.
What you're really here to see
Photo: Jacek Lesniowski, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, colour-graded01A busy yacht harbour with space for over a thousand boats, a harbour master and its own customs and immigration office. Private yachts moor by the quayside cafés, and certain liveaboard dive boats start from here, bound for southern reefs such as Elphinstone, Daedalus and the Brothers.
Worth a wander any time
Photo: Roland Unger, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, colour-graded02Palms, arcades, cafés and small shops line a car-free walk beside the water. It feels neat and planned, and most guests drift along it after dinner. Don't expect a traditional bazaar; this is a resort village built in the last few decades.
Best after dark
Photo: Jacek Lesniowski, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, colour-graded03The neighbouring resort area, Madinat Coraya, lies on the other side of the airport. It has a souk built in traditional style, a calm sandy shore and a reputation with divers. Bigger hotels such as Steigenberger Coraya Beach (adults only) and JAZ Lamaya sit along it.
A few minutes by car
Time to allow
This is a resort for unwinding with an easy journey either side. Four nights or more works best.
Sun, sea and pool, a stroll along the promenade and one snorkelling trip. Enough to recover after a week of temples.
Proper beach days plus a few outings along the coast, with evenings at the marina.
Day boats from the coast, or a liveaboard that sets off from the marina, with a hotel night before and after.
Pair a few nights here with a quieter spell further south, or a night in El Quseir.
Where it fits
Port Ghalib is the straightforward way to reach the southern Red Sea.
Your hotel is 10–15 minutes from Marsa Alam Airport, so a short break loses very little time to the road.
From November to March it gives warm days and a sea that stays swimmable, a clear step up from Tenerife or Lanzarote for water temperature.
Plenty of travellers end a Luxor and Aswan trip with a few easy beach days here before flying home.
Cafés and restaurants on the promenade are a short walk from the marina, which is unusual on this stretch of coast.
Every way in
Day trips, classic multi-day tours, Nile cruises, hotels and private transfers – every part of an Egypt trip can be arranged from Port Ghalib. Start wherever makes sense.
Hotel pickup, a private Egyptologist, half or full day.
2–15 day private itineraries, hotels and guides included.
Pair Port Ghalib with a 3–4 night river cruise in one trip.
Aswan ↔ Luxor sailings, dahabiyas and classic cruisers.
5★ and boutique stays, hand-picked by our team.
Private meet-and-greet from the airport to your hotel.
Best time to visit
The sea is warm enough to swim in every month, at 22–29°C across the year.
Pleasant days and mild evenings, which suits beaches, the promenade and excursions. January daytime highs are around 22–25°C.
August highs reach 33–40°C. The sea and pools take the edge off, and you will have the coast to yourself compared with Hurghada.
Sunshine when the UK has little of it, with warm days and cooler evenings. Ask us early for school-holiday dates.
Never colder than about 22°C, so snorkelling in February is realistic, though a thin wetsuit is welcome on longer dives.
The practical part
Near the runway and compact on foot, so the practical side is easy.
In winter there is usually a weekly non-stop from London Gatwick to Marsa Alam (RMF), roughly five and a half hours. Other UK airports mean a connection, or a flight to Hurghada and a long road south. Check current schedules before booking.
In the marina village we list Pickalbatros The Palace Port Ghalib, Pickalbatros Sands Port Ghalib and Marina Lodge at Port Ghalib. Close by in Coraya Bay are Steigenberger Coraya Beach and JAZ Lamaya.
The marina and promenade are on foot. Marsa Alam town is around 65 kilometres south and El Quseir around 75 kilometres north, so we arrange trips with hotel pickup.
Our Marsa Alam office handles transfers and excursions, so a delayed flight or changed plan reaches someone on the coast.
Common questions
Quiet, tidy and built around a marina. You get a beach, a promenade with cafés and shops, and hotels a short drive from Marsa Alam Airport. It suits sun, snorkelling and relaxing more than sightseeing or nightlife.
A few kilometres. Most hotels are 10–15 minutes away by road, and we can book a private transfer so a driver meets you in arrivals.
Port Ghalib uses Marsa Alam Airport (RMF). Winter schedules have usually included a weekly non-stop from London Gatwick. Schedules change, so confirm before you book.
Not exactly. Marsa Alam is the wider region, with a small town about 65 kilometres south. Port Ghalib is a separate marina resort by the airport, though many hotels are sold under the Marsa Alam name.
Yes. Boat trips and dive centres work from the marina and nearby bays, and some liveaboards depart from the harbour. For dolphins and dugongs you will want a day out along the Marsa Alam coast.
Yes. The two resort areas lie either side of the airport, a short drive apart. Port Ghalib has the marina and promenade, while Coraya Bay has a sandy shore, a souk and larger hotels.
Photo: Jacek Lesniowski, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, colour-graded
Plan your trip
Send us your dates, who's travelling and what you'd like from the sea, and within 24 hours we'll come back with a private plan: hotel, transfers and any day trips. Cairo · Luxor · Aswan · Hurghada · Marsa Alam · Sharm El Sheikh, on the ground since 1988.
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