Dahab sightseeing
Dahab offers good access to many natural wonders and historical sites. Close to Sharm el Sheikh is St Catherine's Monastery; the oldest monastery in the world, it is situated in a spectacular location at the foot of Mount Sinai, itself famed as the site of God's revelation of the Ten Commandments.
The amazing desert landscape of the Coloured Canyon is breathtaking, with sandstone walls displaying wonderful tones of ochre, yellows, purples, reds, magentas and gold. And in direct contrast, the White Canyon boasts brilliant white walls where strong sunlight reflects on limestone.
Ein Khudra, the Green Oasis, is one of Sinai's most scenic oases, its name perfectly describing this attractive area where gushing freshwater springs nourish date palm gardens in the otherwise barren desert.
Pharaoh's Island, a magnificent 12th century fortress, built by the Crusaders and once occupied by Caliph Saladin, is located slightly further north on the Sinai Peninsula.
Day trips including Bedouin style lunches are plentiful and include excursions to Ras Abu Gallum with its protected flora and fauna, Wadi Gunei with its delightful palm fringed oasis, Wadi Connection boasting a spacious 5km valley surrounded by mystical mountains, and Ras Mohammed, Egypt's first national park excellent for snorkelling and diving.
Diving and Snorkelling
World renowned for its shore diving, Dahab is an excellent choice for divers of all levels with gentle reef slopes and coral gardens perfect for novice divers as well as offering some of the most adventurous diving in the Red Sea.
The legendary Blue Hole, just 4m from the shore, and The Canyon, which stretches across to Saudi Arabia, are ideal for technical divers although the sloping reef outside the Blue Hole is rich in marine life and ideal for snorkelling.
Many of the hotels have their own dive centres and some offer PADI courses from beginners to instructor level.
Within a 25-minute drive by jeep there are more than twenty interesting dive sites and, accessible only by camel, there are additional sites such as the beautiful coral reef at Ras Abu Galum National Park; home to a population of manatees and schools of reef fish.
Gabr El Bint is one of the most pristine and attractive of the north Sinai sites and The Islands features outstanding topography with tropical coral at its most beautiful. The Daniela Reef features huge stunning table corals and teems with marine life including turtles, stingrays and Napoleon fish.
Map
Climate
Much of Egypt is desert and the whole country is hot and dry with very little rain. Away from the coast, the summers can be scorchingly hot but winters are more moderate with more comfortable temperatures. Water temperatures average between 20° C and 23° C during the winter months.
Did you know?
The word Dahab is Arabic for gold and is possibly a reference to the geographic locality; gold washed down from the desert mountains may have accumulated on the alluvial flood plain where the town was built. The name may also be a reference to the colour of the sands to the south of the town itself. Some locals attribute the name to the colour of the sky, just after sunset.