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Sharm el-Sheikh is a huge resort town, which is located along the coast for almost 30 kilometers. In addition, it also includes some remote resort areas, stretching it for more than 35 kilometers.
In almost any area in Charm, you can find five-star all-inclusive hotels and beaches, and at first glance it seems that you can settle anywhere, and nothing else is needed for happiness. But in fact, if you plan to leave the hotel at least occasionally and walk outside the beach, the question of choosing an area for accommodation becomes very relevant. For example, some areas are isolated resorts far from the center, in which there is nothing outside the hotel, so there is simply nowhere to walk in the evening or go shopping. And there are hotels where residential areas begin right outside the gates, a walk through which will not appeal to every vacationer "in five stars". So we advise you to be more careful with this issue, so as not to be locked up on vacation in the walls of the hotel. We present to your attention a description of the districts and a map to make it easier for you to navigate when choosing a place to stay:
Naama Bay
Naama Bay is the most developed tourist area of Sharm, and almost its geographical center (Naama Bay on the map). It is here that the largest concentration of five-star hotels, the best sandy beaches with the bottom cleared of stones and corals, there is a casino and a water park. Sometimes you can find the opinion that there are few shops and cafes in Naama Bay, but this is not true, because everything is relative. And if we compare this area with the rest of the city, then there is just the greatest concentration and variety of markets, tourist shops, travel agencies, there is the Pedestrian Road embankment and the Malek Al Bahrain pedestrian street with cafes, restaurants and shops.
In general, if you want to be in the center of the main tourist hangout, have a magnificent sandy beach and places for walking nearby, then do not hesitate and choose a hotel in Naama Bay. If you want a quieter place, then Naama Bey is contraindicated for you.
Hadaba
Hadaba district is the largest and most densely populated urban area, located in the very south of the city (Hadaba on the map). In turn, it is customary to allocate two tourist zones inside Hadab, since it is more convenient due to the too large size of Hadab, because its length is about four kilometers. Are these beaches or areas:
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Sharm El Maya
Sharm el-Maya is located on the shores of the bay of the same name SharmEl-Maya Bay (Sharm el-Maya on the map). This is a fairly compact area, there are good and inexpensive hotels here. But the most important thing is that there is a very colorful shopping area "Old Town" or Old Market, which is a kind of attraction. You can walk around the Old Town in the evenings and enjoy shopping or visiting local restaurants. And on the outskirts of the bay there is a nice wild and free beach.
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El-Fanar (Al-Fanar)
El Fanar is a large developed area with hotels on the second and first lines and its own beaches (El Fanar on the map). But there is nowhere to take a walk and have fun in the evening outside the hotels, so most vacationers go on foot or by taxi to the Old Town in Sharm el-Maya. As for the beaches, here they have their own peculiarity: the coast is very high and rocky in places, and therefore you will have to go down to the beaches, for which some hotels have special elevators. The bottom surface on the beaches of El Fanar is rocky, there are a lot of corals and marine life, the depth is great. It's not suitable for simple bathing, but for those who like to swim with a mask or scuba gear, it's better not to think of it.
Nabq Bay
The youngest tourist area of Sharm el-Sheikh is located at the northern tip of the city (Nabq Bay on the map). There are many large "star" hotels with their own territory and beach, good prices for accommodation, clean well-groomed streets. But the area itself is still relatively empty, there is almost nothing outside the hotels except the road and other hotels, there is nowhere to walk in the evenings. It would be more accurate to describe this as follows: there are shops, tourist shops, cafes and even casinos here. But all of them are too scattered around the area along the main street of El-Salam for eight kilometers, which is why there is no single place of concentration and you will have to walk very far. In addition, which is not very convenient - this area is still far from the most interesting places in the city - the hangout Naama Bay and the shopping Old Town or Old Market in the area of Sharm el-Maya.
The beaches in Nabq Bay also have their own characteristics: a shallow depth and a bottom that is not cleaned of corals, and therefore you have to go to the depth via pontoons and bridges that lead hundreds of meters into the sea. Another of the disadvantages here is quite strong and constant winds, especially in winter, because the coast is not protected in any way. Because of this, there are temporary bans for bathing.
Ras Nasrani
Ras Nasrani district is located near the airport in the northern part of the city (Ras Nasrani on the map). This is not a typical urban area, but, one might say, a tourist "reservation", where there is almost nothing except hotels. But in fairness it should be said that just a couple of kilometers from Ras Nasrani is Soho Square, where there is a large shopping center, shops and cafes, and in general a wonderful place for walking.
The beach in Ras Nasrani is very good. It is wide and very diverse: there are places with sand suitable for swimming (but there are few of them), and in most cases there is a coral bottom, perfect for snorkeling thanks to the living coral reef. In general, as for beach holidays, this area will please almost any tourist.
Sharks Bay and Soho
Sharks Bay is located right next to the airport, literally across the street from the area, its runway is already located behind the fence (Sharks Bay on the map). Sharks Bay is very similar to Ras Nasrani in terms of facilities, i.e. there is almost nothing here except hotels. But it is here that the famous Soho Square is located, which is rightly recognized as the cleanest and most beautiful place in the city.
The beaches here are also predominantly coral, the entrance to the depth is from wooden bridges. But unlike Nabc Bay, you don't have to walk several hundred meters along them, and the depth starts just a few dozen meters from the shore. At the same time, hotels here take care of all categories of vacationers, so there are special equipped places for children and those who do not know how to swim with a mask or at depth.
Coral Bay and Garden Bay
Coral Bay is also known as Tiger Bay – located in the geographical center of Sharm el-Sheikh near Naama Bay and near the airport (Coral Bay on the map). The area consists almost entirely of expensive luxury hotels with their own territory, including world-class chain hotels. And the high prices for them are justified, because the hotels are located near the party area and the main tourist center of the city in the Naama Bay area, but at the same time they are devoid of its disadvantages for recreation – it's noise, fuss and pesky local merchants. The beaches here are appropriate – very well equipped and protected from the winds. There are places with a gentle approach for swimming, as well as excellent options for diving and snorkeling.
Garden Bay is even closer to Naama Bay, and there is almost nothing here except hotels (Garden Bay on the map). Here are the most expensive luxury hotels Hyatt Regency, Intercontinental, Sharm Plaza, Reef Oasis on the first line.
Areas of Sharm el-Sheikh on the map
Which area is better to choose in Sharm el-Sheikh for a holiday
Summing up, now we will give recommendations on the right choice of area in Sharm el-Sheikh:
- If you can afford a very expensive hotel, then choose accommodation in Ras Nasrani, Sharks Bay, Coral Bay or Garden Bay. In these areas there are many very expensive and fashionable hotels with their own territory and golf courses, excellent beaches.
- If you want to swim with a mask and watch marine life, then you can settle in Nabq Bay, Ras Nasrani, Sharks Bay, El Fanar.
- If you want to be in the center of the party, walk in the evenings along the embankment and pedestrian street with bars, and on the beaches not just to bask in the sun, but also to have fun, then there is no better area than Naama Bay in Charm.
- If you go on vacation in the low season in winter, it is best to choose wind-protected coves in Naama Bay or Sharm el-Maya in Hadaba.
- If you want to relax a little away from civilization in hotels with a large territory and its own beach, while not spending a lot of money on vacation, then you can consider Nabc Bay, just take into account the peculiarities of local beaches with very shallow depth.
- If you are going on vacation with children, it is better to choose the areas of Sharm el-Maya or Naama Bay, because it is in them that you will find sandy beaches with shallow depths and a bottom clean of corals and stones.
- If you want to relax in Sharm el-Sheikh on your own by renting accommodation or staying in a hotel without your own beach, then we advise you to choose the area of Sharm el-Maya in this case, because there are more accommodation options here, and you can use free wild beach behind the bay of Sharm el-Maya.
And now that it has become clear to you where (in which area) it is better to choose a hotel for a holiday in Sharm el-Sheikh, you can pick up a tour online on these trusted travel shopping sites: