Diving from El Gouna: dive sites, day trips and getting picked up

El Gouna is a purpose-built resort town on the Red Sea, about 20 km north of Hurghada, and the reefs off its coast are some of the closest to it. Wikipedia says it was founded in 1990 by Samih Sawiris and developed by Orascom Development, on 20 islands surrounded by lagoons along 10 km of coast, with its own yacht marina at Abu Tig.

• Getting there: Wikivoyage puts the bus ride from Hurghada at about 30 minutes. The two sources disagree on the airport: Wikipedia says about 25 km, Wikivoyage about 35 km and 35–45 minutes by road.
• The water: Wikivoyage notes that many of El Gouna's beaches are lagoons, separated from the open sea by reefs, and that the diving is just outside those reefs.
• The dive area: the Chamber of Diving and Water Sports (CDWS), Egypt's diving authority, lists 13 sites under El Gouna, from Shaab El Erg up to the Abu Nuhas wrecks and Small Gubal, and says they take between half an hour and two hours of cruising to reach.

In short: the town itself is lagoons and sand, and the reefs and wrecks are offshore, so diving from El Gouna means a boat day. If you are still choosing where to stay, see Hurghada vs Sharm, Marsa Alam and Dahab as a diving base.

The nearest reefs are the Abu Nugar and Abu Galawa groups and Shaab El Erg, with maximum depths from 11 m to 35 m; most are fine for Open Water divers. The Abu Nuhas wrecks lie further north. Depths and levels below come from our own dive-site pages, which collect what published guides record; where no source rates a site, we say so.

What divers report seeing:

• Abu Nugar: cleaning stations where wrasses and shrimps clean snappers and groupers, nudibranchs and parrotfish; eagle rays now and then.
• Shaab El Erg: napoleon wrasse, blue-spotted rays, scorpionfish, crocodilefish and morays. Dolphins use the channel into its lagoon, the spot known as Dolphin House.
• Marsa Abu Galawa: seahorses in the seagrass, garden eels at about 14 m and glassfish in the caves.
• Umm Gamar: napoleon wrasse, emperor angelfish, free-swimming morays; occasional whitetip reef sharks and mantas (mantas mostly February–March).

A Divernet writer who dived the El Gouna reefs in 2023 found his boat was often the only one on the reef and described the coral as in excellent condition, which he put down to fewer divers. That is one visitor's view, not a survey. For more sites around Hurghada, browse the dive-site map or read our guide to dive sites around Hurghada.

Yes. The Abu Nuhas wrecks are a separate full-day trip, not part of the daily 2-dive boat: group dates cost from €250 per person and a private boat for your group from €1,750. Hotel pickup from El Gouna is included.

• How far: sources disagree. Dive Magazine puts Abu Nuhas around 20 miles from El Gouna and 25 miles from Hurghada; CDWS says an hour by boat from El Gouna. Our boat leaves from Hurghada and takes a couple of hours, with the briefing on the way.
• The wrecks: four ships lie on the reef: the Carnatic (to 27 m), Giannis D (28 m), Chrisoula K (30 m) and Kimon M (32 m). Dive Magazine says the Giannis D hit the reef in 1983; its stern rests at 20 m and its mast top is at 5 m.
• Who can go: Open Water divers or higher. The captain picks two wrecks for the day's conditions. Going inside a wreck needs wreck training; see wreck diving safety.
• Dates: the wreck days have no fixed weekly schedule. Join a date when a group is going, or book the whole boat. Tell us your dates and how many you are.

The SS Thistlegorm runs the same way, as a Thistlegorm day trip. The Rosalie Moller (50 m) and the Gubal sites are dived on our North Wrecks & Reefs liveaboard. History of each ship: the wrecks of Abu Nuhas; how the trips compare: wreck diving from Hurghada.

From the shore, El Gouna snorkeling is mostly lagoon and sand, with fish rather than a full coral reef; for living reef, take a boat. Wikivoyage describes many of the beaches as lagoons cut off from the open sea by reefs, and Zeytouna Beach sits on its own island.

• Jetties: a visitor to Zeytouna island describes a long jetty you can get into the water from, with many colourful fish, but found the coral nicer further out and booked a boat trip for it.
• Lagoons: calm, shallow and sheltered, good for practising with a mask. Wear water shoes, float rather than stand, and stay clear of boat lanes. More in our guide to snorkeling from the beach around Hurghada and snorkeling safety for first-timers.

Boat options with us:

All our boat trips are paid in cash on the day. Before a dolphin trip, read our Dolphin House guide.

We pick you up from your El Gouna hotel at around 08:00, drive to our marina in Hurghada and spend the day on the boat, with two guided dives and lunch. The transfer is included. We confirm your exact pickup time when you book, since it depends on how far your hotel is from the marina.

• Price: 2-dive day €50 (normally €60). Multi-day packages take up to 10% off; see the price list.
• Included: hotel pickup and drop-off, two guided boat dives, tanks, weights, a certified guide, lunch and soft drinks.
• Extras: full equipment €10 a day, dive computer €5 a day, Nitrox €8 a tank, underwater camera €20 a day.
• Group size: max 4 divers per guide.
• Back after a break? If your last dive was more than a year ago, your first dive of the day is an easy check dive with your guide, at no extra cost.
• Paying: cash on the day, nothing in advance, free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

The captain chooses the sites each morning by wind, swell and the group's experience, so the El Gouna reefs are one option, not a promise. Tell us when you book if you'd like them.

Beginners do well at the sheltered reefs rated beginner or all divers, Shaab El Erg, Abu Nugar and Erg Abu Nugar; experienced divers get more from Marsa Abu Galawa, Umm Gamar, Careless Reef and the wrecks.

• Never dived: a try dive costs €45, one-to-one with your instructor, no experience needed. To get certified, the Open Water course is €365 (SSI/SDI) or €395 (PADI) with gear, materials, certification and El Gouna pickup included. Not sure which? Read try dive, Scuba Diver or Open Water.
• New Open Water divers: Shaab El Erg (16 m, beginner), Abu Nugar (20 m, beginner, usually mild current), Erg Abu Nugar (15 m, all divers) and Gota Abu Galawa (11 m).
• Experienced divers: Marsa Abu Galawa (35 m, intermediate), Umm Gamar (37 m, advanced; its northern tip only in very good weather, and titan triggerfish nest there in September) and Careless Reef (40 m, intermediate, exposed, dived only in excellent weather).
• Wreck and tec divers: the Abu Nuhas wrecks on a wreck day, and the Rosalie Moller (50 m, technical) on a liveaboard. Planning deeper? See depth limits by certification.