Soma Bay and Safaga Travel Guide: Kitesurfing, Diving and Quiet Beaches

South of Makadi Bay, the coast changes character. The hotels thin out, the desert mountains move closer to the sea and the wind picks up. This is Soma Bay and Safaga – the part of the Hurghada coast that kitesurfers, divers and golfers love, and where a beach holiday still feels spacious.

Soma Bay is a private peninsula with a handful of upmarket resorts and one of Egypt's best golf courses. Safaga, a short drive further south, is a port town with excellent dive sites and a more local feel. This guide covers both: what to do, where to stay, day trips and how to get there from Hurghada Airport.

Soma Bay and Safaga at a glance

Soma Bay: the resort peninsula

Soma Bay covers a peninsula about 5 km long and 2 km wide, reached by a 7 km private road with a single controlled gate. It feels like a world of its own: a few large resorts spread along the water, an 18-hole championship golf course, a marina and long stretches of beach with very little traffic.

The resorts include the Kempinski Hotel Soma Bay, Sheraton Soma Bay, Robinson Club Soma Bay, The Cascades Golf Resort, Palm Royale and The Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge – a mix of family all-inclusive, adults-oriented and sports-focused hotels.

Kitesurfing and windsurfing

The prevailing northerly wind blows steadily across the bay for much of the year, which makes Soma Bay one of the best kitesurf spots in Egypt. Several kite and windsurf centres operate from the hotel beaches, with flat-water areas for beginners and stronger conditions further out. A beginner's course usually takes a few days; book ahead in peak season.

Golf

The 18-hole, par-72 course was designed by Gary Player and runs along the coast with sea views from most holes. It's open to guests of all Soma Bay resorts, with a clubhouse, driving range and equipment hire. Tee times early in the morning or late in the afternoon avoid the midday heat.

Diving and snorkelling

Soma Bay has its own house reefs and dive centres, and boats reach the reefs between Soma Bay and Safaga within minutes. The water is often calmer on the protected side of the peninsula, which suits snorkellers. As anywhere on the Red Sea: reef shoes on, no touching, no feeding.

Safaga: diving and a real Egyptian town

Safaga is a working port town, with ferries to Saudi Arabia and a commercial harbour, but its hotel strip along the bay is relaxed and its dive sites are some of the best on the coast. Unlike the purpose-built resorts, Safaga has markets, local cafés and everyday Egyptian life, which many visitors enjoy.

Panorama Reef and Abu Kefan

Safaga's offshore reefs, such as Panorama Reef and Abu Kefan, are known for steep walls, soft corals and the chance of larger animals. They are reached by day boats from Safaga and Soma Bay and suit experienced divers and confident snorkellers.

The Salem Express

The wreck of the Salem Express, a passenger ferry that sank off Safaga in December 1991 with the loss of hundreds of lives, is one of the Red Sea's most moving dive sites. Local dive centres run trips to the wreck. Please visit it respectfully: don't enter the wreck or remove anything.

Tobia Island and snorkelling trips

The small sandbanks and islands off Safaga, such as Tobia, are popular for half- and full-day snorkelling trips with shallow lagoons ideal for beginners and children. Read more about Tobia Island and compare trips with pick-up in Safaga or Soma Bay.

Day trips from Soma Bay and Safaga

Luxor is the classic day trip. All tourist vehicles from the Red Sea resorts drive to Luxor via Safaga and the Safaga–Qena road, so from Soma Bay and Safaga you save time compared with Hurghada or El Gouna. See our Luxor day trip guide for what you can see in a day.

Other options include desert jeep safaris and evening trips to Hurghada for shopping or dinner at the Hurghada Marina.

Where to stay

Choose Soma Bay if you want a quiet, upmarket resort, golf or kitesurfing right outside your room. Choose Safaga for a dive-focused holiday, lower prices and a bit of local life. Families often prefer the larger Soma Bay resorts with kids' clubs and sandy beaches; divers like Safaga's dive hotels with daily boats.

For comparison with El Gouna, Sahl Hasheesh and Makadi Bay, see our guide on where to stay in Hurghada.

Getting there

Soma Bay and Safaga are served by Hurghada International Airport. The drive south along the coast road takes about 45–60 minutes to Soma Bay and 60–75 minutes to Safaga. There's no practical public transport, and taxis from the airport over this distance need careful price negotiation, so most visitors use a hotel bus or a pre-booked private transfer.

You can book a fixed-price private transfer from Hurghada Airport to Soma Bay or to Safaga. The driver waits outside the arrivals exit with your name – our Hurghada Airport arrival guide explains every step from the plane to the car.

Practical tips

• Bring a windproof layer for winter evenings – the wind that kitesurfers love can feel cool after sunset.
• Book kite courses and golf in advance at Christmas, Easter and in October.
• Cash: carry Egyptian pounds for tips; Soma Bay hotels accept cards.
• Respect the reefs and wrecks: don't touch coral, don't take souvenirs.
• Visa: apply for the e-Visa in advance or buy the visa stamp at the airport bank counters.

Still comparing bays? Read about Makadi Bay, Sahl Hasheesh and El Gouna, or plan your diving with our guide to snorkelling and diving in Hurghada.