Discover the attractions of Sinai – view the main areas of interest:
Red Sea Coast
The coral reef along the Sinai coast is world-famous, and it is a major international diving destination. Apart from scuba diving, snorkeling is also very popular, as are other water sports such as free diving, windsurfing, and kitesurfing. There are also glass-bottom boat excursions for families and those who are less keen to submerge themselves in the water. Most of the coast is quite rocky, but there are small stretches and bays with fine sandy beaches. Most places of interest for visitors are on the Gulf of Aqaba coast. On the Gulf of Suez coast there are no coral reefs and little diving, but the beaches around Ras Sudr are popular with people from Cairo, and it is a great windsurfing destination.
St Catherine & Mt Sinai
Sinai is a holy land where many of the Biblical events are believed to have taken place. The Monastery of St. Catherine was built on the site of the Burning Bush, at the foot of Mt. Sinai – Mount Horeb in the Bible and locally known as Jebel Musa (Gebel Mousa) – where Moses received the Ten Commandments. Apart from the main monastery, there are several other monasteries, chapels, and Byzantine monastic ruins in the area.
The High Mountain Region
Strictly speaking, the Sinai High Mountain Region, as marked on the locally available hiking maps, is the area around the town of Saint Catherine, from Sheikh Awad in the north to Mount Katherine in the south, and from Bab el Donya in the west to Jebel el Deir in the east. However, the whole southern tip of the South Sinai interior is a mountainous region and is sometimes referred to as the Sinai high mountains. The second-tallest mountain, Jebel Umm Shaumar, and the tallest mountain to climb, Jebel Serbal, are both located within this larger area, along with several other mighty peaks. For easier distinction, we call it the “remote high mountains”. The Sinai High Mountain Region proper, sometimes called the central high mountains, falls within the territory of the Jabaleya Bedouin tribe, and only they are allowed to organize hikes and treks here. In the remote high mountains, other tribes are also present and involved in tourism: the Ulad Said and the Muzeina.
The Desert
The desert of Sinai is remarkably diverse and has many different faces. There are vast open plains and high sand dunes, surreal sandstone hills and wind-carved rock formations, flat-topped ranges and plateaus offering dramatic views, rugged mountains, and a maze of long winding wadis. There are also green oases, hidden canyons, and a number of sites of archaeological interest dating from Byzantine, Pharaonic, Nabataean, and even earlier times.
Most of the southern tip of the peninsula is mountainous, while the centre is dominated by the rugged wilderness of the Tih Plateau. Between the two lies a broad sandy desert belt stretching across the peninsula from the Gulf of Suez to the Gulf of Aqaba. This belt can be divided into three safari regions that overlap in the middle around Jebel Dalal, the southernmost head of the Tih Plateau, but otherwise correspond more or less to tribal territories, each with its own distinct character, landscapes, and attractions.
North Sinai
While travel to North Sinai is not possible at the moment, and it is not a major tourist destination anyway, it is an important area from an environmental perspective. Lake Bardawil, on the Mediterranean coast, is a significant habitat for migratory and resident birds, and part of it is protected as a nature reserve. It is a shallow lagoon separated from the Mediterranean Sea by a limestone ridge. Further east along the coast lies El Arish, a pleasant seaside town with fine beaches. Some families from Cairo own holiday properties here, but because of its proximity to Rafah and Gaza (the Palestinian territories), and the security issues associated with the area, it is not a popular tourist destination even among Egyptians.
ATTRACTIONS: Red Sea Coast > St Catherine & Mt Sinai > The High Mountain Region > The Desert > North Sinai