Photo: Somabay Team, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, colour-graded
Egypt's Red Sea · Destination guide
A private peninsula on the Red Sea, built around wind and water — flat-water kitesurfing, a reef off the jetty, a championship golf course and a big thalassotherapy spa.
Get your bearings
Soma Bay sits on a spur of land pushing into the Red Sea, some 45 kilometres south of Hurghada airport and about 28 kilometres north of Safaga. The peninsula is roughly five kilometres by two, with sea around almost all of it. A single private road of about seven kilometres joins it to the mainland, and the barrier at the end only lifts for guests with a hotel or activity booking.
The two coastlines feel quite different. On one side the reef drops towards open water, and that is where the divers gather. On the other, a broad, shallow bay with pale sand draws kitesurfers, and its far shore is Abu Soma, the strip of mainland coast with its own run of hotels on the way to Safaga. Back on the peninsula the pace is gentle: a few large resorts, a marina, a golf course and a spa, with shuttle buses and golf buggies doing the work of taxis.
What you're really here to see
Photo: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, colour-graded01A long wooden jetty reaches out across the shallows to the house reef at Ras Abu Soma, which suits snorkellers and divers of every standard. Dive boats leave from the marina for Panorama Reef and for walls, caves and canyons, and these sites are generally less busy than many others on the Red Sea.
Year-round
Photo: Marc Ryckaert, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, colour-graded02A north-westerly funnels through the desert hills and arrives with extra punch. Between May and October it averages around 22 knots, and September afternoons often hit 25 to 30. The lagoon is sandy, shallow and almost free of hazards, though the wind can be cross-offshore from some launch spots, so the schools keep a rescue boat on hand.
Strongest May to October
Photo: Simplex2, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, colour-graded03Gary Player laid out the 18-hole, par 72 course, which follows the shoreline. Beside it, the Cascades resort has one of the largest thalassotherapy spas in the region, a sensible answer to a day when the wind drops.
Half a day
Time to allow
Most people book a week, and five to seven nights lets you do a bit of everything.
One lesson or an introductory dive, a round of golf or a spa morning, and plenty of time on the sand.
Long enough to get to grips with kitesurfing or a few dives, plus a boat trip to Tobia Island and a spa day.
Roughly three hours by road from the Nile, then a well-organised week by the sea behind the gate.
Pair it with a few nights in Hurghada if you would like restaurants and a livelier evening.
Where it fits
This is a holiday for people who build the day around the wind, the reef or a tee time rather than a night out.
Dependable wind, shallow water and schools on the beach, with space for beginners and seasoned riders alike.
A house reef at the end of the jetty and dive boats from the marina, with sites that tend to be quieter than elsewhere.
A Gary Player course by the water and a large thalasso spa, both inside the same private community.
The estate is gated and easy to get around, with a small water park next to the Sheraton and a play park behind the marina.
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 Soma Bay. Start wherever makes sense.
Hotel pickup, a private Egyptologist, half or full day.
2–15 day private itineraries, hotels and guides included.
Pair Soma Bay 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 weather suits a holiday in any month, so choose by what you want from the water.
Strong afternoon breezes and the highest temperatures. Many guests beach in the morning and again late in the day.
Good kiting with gentler heat. In the cooler months the wind is patchier, though there are usually three or four windy days a week.
Bright days and chilly nights. The sea hovers around 20°C, so kitesurfers wear a light wetsuit on windy days.
From about 20°C in the depths of winter to about 28°C in summer. Pack a shorty if you plan to be in the water in winter.
The practical part
One airport, one road, one barrier. Here is how the journey works.
Direct flights from London to Hurghada (HRG) take about five and a half hours. Soma Bay is around 45 kilometres south, and the transfer usually takes 45 minutes to an hour.
Soma Bay is private. Your hotel or activity provider arranges your entry once you have booked, and some will ask for passport details beforehand so they can issue a QR code.
Free shuttle buses run between the main hotels, and bikes, scooters and golf buggies can be hired near the marina. Taxis aren't needed once you are inside.
Luxor lies about three hours away by road, and Hurghada is roughly an hour to the north. We can arrange both before you travel.
Common questions
Soma Bay is known for kitesurfing, diving, golf and a large thalassotherapy spa. It is a private peninsula on the Red Sea coast, with a handful of big resorts, a marina and a Gary Player golf course.
Yes. The lagoon is shallow and sandy with few hazards, and schools on the beach teach all levels. The wind is strongest from May to October, and the schools run rescue boats because some launch spots have cross-offshore wind.
May to October brings the strongest wind, around 22 knots on average, with the best afternoons in September. March, April and November are the shoulder months. Winter still has windy days, but fewer of them.
Soma Bay is the private peninsula with the marina, golf course and spa. Abu Soma is the mainland coast on the far side of the bay, with its own hotels on the way to Safaga. Both share the same wind and shallow water.
Expect 45 minutes to an hour for the roughly 45 kilometres. The exact time depends on traffic and which hotel you are heading to.
Not especially. The marina has restaurants and bars, and the hotels run their own entertainment, but there is no big nightlife scene. Anyone wanting more should add a night or two in Hurghada.
Photo: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, 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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