El Gouna: the Most Elegant Lagoon Resort of the Red Sea
El Gouna is a unique experience in the Egyptian tourist panorama. Located about 25 kilometres north of Hurghada, this entirely planned resort-town represents a model of sustainable and refined tourist development that has no equal on the Red Sea coast. Born from the vision of the Egyptian entrepreneur Samih Sawiris and developed by Orascom Hotels & Development, El Gouna extends over a territory of over 36 square kilometres, interwoven by 14 kilometres of artificial lagoons that confer on the place an incomparable charm.
Unlike the classic Egyptian seaside destinations, El Gouna is not simply a concentration of hotels and resorts, but a veritable self-sufficient community with a stable resident population, international schools, a hospital, a water desalination station and its own private airport. This community dimension is reflected in the cosmopolitan and relaxed atmosphere that permeates every corner of the town, making it a destination favoured by demanding travellers coming from all over the world.
History and Development
The Vision of Samih Sawiris
The history of El Gouna begins in the early 1990s, when Samih Sawiris, member of one of the most influential families of Egypt, purchased a wide portion of desert coast north of Hurghada with the ambition of creating something completely new in the tourist panorama of the Red Sea. The idea was to build not a simple resort, but a complete city where tourism, permanent residence and environmental sustainability could coexist harmoniously.
The urban project was entrusted to architects of international fame who designed an urban fabric inspired by the traditional Egyptian villages, reinterpreted in a contemporary key. The constructions in Nubian style, with their domes and the warm colours of the earth, integrate perfectly with the surrounding desert landscape, while the system of canals and lagoons vaguely recalls a tropical Venice transported into the desert.
A Model of Sustainability
El Gouna has been a pioneer in the adoption of eco-sustainable practices in the Egyptian tourist sector. The city has its own desalination plant that transforms sea water into drinking water, an advanced system of treatment of waste waters that are reused for the irrigation of the golf course and the green areas, and a waste recycling plant. These initiatives have made El Gouna an international case study in the field of sustainable tourism and have earned it numerous environmental recognitions.
The Three Beaches
Zeytuna Beach
Zeytuna Beach is the most exclusive beach of El Gouna, situated on a private island reachable with a short journey by shuttle boat. The beach of fine sand is lapped by shallow and protected turquoise waters, ideal for swimming and snorkelling. The beach club offers comfortable loungers, umbrellas, a restaurant and a bar, creating a sophisticated and relaxing atmosphere. The limitation of access guarantees that the beach is never overcrowded, preserving a sense of exclusivity and tranquillity.
Mangroovy Beach
Mangroovy Beach is the paradise of water sports at El Gouna. Thanks to its position exposed to the thermal winds of the Red Sea and to the shallow waters of the lagoon in front, this beach has become one of the most renowned kitesurfing spots of Egypt and of the entire Middle East. Numerous kite and windsurf schools operate on the beach, offering courses for all levels. The atmosphere is young and dynamic, with beach bars that animate the days and the evenings.
Buzz Beach
Buzz Beach is the most lively and social beach of El Gouna, frequented by families, groups of friends and young people. Equipped with play areas for children, beach volleyball courts and a wide offer of restaurants, this beach represents the main meeting point of the community of El Gouna. The weekly events, from sports tournaments to musical evenings, contribute to creating a festive and inclusive atmosphere.
Abu Tig Marina and Downtown
The Beating Heart of El Gouna
Abu Tig Marina is the nerve centre of the social life of El Gouna. This elegant tourist port, capable of hosting boats up to 25 metres in length, is surrounded by a lively promenade along which restaurants, cafés, bars and boutiques follow one another. The gastronomic variety is surprising for a locality of these dimensions: from traditional Egyptian cuisine to Italian cuisine, from Japanese sushi to Argentine steak, practically every culinary taste finds satisfaction along the docks of the marina.
The evenings at Abu Tig Marina are particularly evocative: the lights of the moored boats are reflected on the calm water of the lagoon, while the restaurants come alive with live music and a cosmopolitan atmosphere that recalls more the Côte d'Azur than Egypt. The bars and the nightspots remain open until late at night, offering a sophisticated but accessible nightlife.
Downtown El Gouna
The Downtown quarter is the commercial and cultural centre of the city, designed to recreate the atmosphere of an Italian square or a Mediterranean village. Here are found clothing shops, art galleries, a multiplex cinema, a library and the cultural centre that hosts exhibitions and events throughout the year. The central square is the meeting point par excellence, with open-air cafés where residents and tourists mix in a relaxed atmosphere.
The Golf Course
18 Holes Overlooking the Lagoon
El Gouna hosts one of the most scenographic golf courses of Egypt: the El Gouna Golf Course, designed by the American architect Gene Bates and inaugurated in 1996. The 18-hole course, par 72, develops over an undulating terrain between lagoons, palm groves and bunkers of very fine sand, offering interesting technical challenges and breathtaking panoramas of the Red Sea and of the mountains of the eastern desert.
The course is equipped with a modern clubhouse with restaurant, pro shop and changing rooms, as well as a golf academy with professional instructors who offer individual and group lessons. The irrigation of the course is entirely guaranteed by recycled water, in line with the philosophy of sustainability that characterises the entire project of El Gouna.
El Gouna Film Festival
An International Festival in the Desert
Since 2017, El Gouna hosts every autumn the GFF — El Gouna Film Festival, an international cinematographic event that has rapidly gained prestige in the panorama of world festivals. Founded by Naguib Sawiris, brother of Samih, the festival presents a curated selection of films coming from all over the world, with a particular attention to Arab and African cinema.
The festival attracts stars of international cinema, directors and critics, transforming El Gouna for a week into the cultural capital of the Red Sea. The screenings are held in specially prepared halls, while the collateral events — conferences, masterclasses and parties — animate the entire city. The GFF has contributed significantly to positioning El Gouna as a destination not only for seaside, but also cultural and artistic.
Water Sports and Diving
A Paradise for the Lovers of the Sea
El Gouna offers a complete range of aquatic activities. The local diving centres, managed by certified professionals, organise daily outings towards the best diving sites of the area, shared with Hurghada but reachable with often shorter navigation times. The seabeds in front of El Gouna host luxuriant coral reefs and a marine fauna that includes Napoleon fish, barracudas, moray eels and occasionally dolphins.
For those who do not practise diving, the boat excursions with stops for snorkelling offer an accessible introduction to the beauty of the seabeds of the Red Sea. The internal lagoons of El Gouna, with their calm and shallow waters, are ideal for kayaking, paddleboarding and pedal boats, activities perfect for families with children.
Kitesurfing merits a special mention: the Sliders Cable Park of El Gouna is one of the most advanced wakeboard and kitesurf structures of the Middle East, with cable tow systems that allow practising wakeboard even in the absence of wind, as well as an inflatable water park that delights big and small.
Practical Tips for the Visit
How to Arrive
El Gouna is reachable from the International Airport of Hurghada, about 30 minutes by car away. Numerous transfer services connect the airport to El Gouna. The city also has a small private airport for light aircraft and private jets. Within El Gouna, transport is guaranteed by an efficient service of tuk-tuks, free shuttle buses and electric taxis.
Where to Stay
The accommodation offer of El Gouna ranges from charming boutique hotels to large all-inclusive resorts, passing through apartments and villas for rent that overlook the lagoons. Among the most appreciated structures are the Steigenberger Golf Resort, the Ancient Sands Golf Resort and the Mövenpick Resort & Spa. For longer stays, the apartments for rent offer an excellent independence and the opportunity to live the city like a resident.
When to Go
The climate of El Gouna is desert and sunny for the majority of the year. The ideal period goes from October to April, when the daytime temperatures oscillate between 22°C and 28°C and the evenings are pleasantly fresh. The summer months can be very hot, with temperatures that frequently exceed 40°C, but the constant wind from the sea mitigates the sensation of heat and makes this period ideal for kitesurfing.
General Tips
El Gouna is one of the safest and most organised localities of Egypt, with a level of services comparable to the high-end European resorts. The local currency is the Egyptian pound, but euros and dollars are widely accepted. Wi-Fi is available in the majority of the hotels and the restaurants. The resident international community makes El Gouna a multilingual place where English, German, Italian and French are commonly spoken.
El Gouna is much more than a simple seaside resort: it is an example of how tourism can be combined with environmental sustainability, intelligent urban design and a rich cultural and sporting offer. Whether you are in search of relaxation on the beach, underwater emotions, challenges on the golf course or cosmopolitan evenings on the marina, El Gouna will know how to surprise and conquer you.
