easy Hurghada

Abu Hashish

Depth Range

6–60m

Boat Ride

90 min

Difficulty

easy

Protected moorings inside the lagoon; the crossing can be choppy in wind — good for all levels and training

An island wrapped in an extensive reef sitting on a flat sandy plateau that ends in a steep drop-off past 60 metres. A shallow lagoon at the southern end, dotted with coral pinnacles, shelters the moorings and doubles as a calm training area. The classic route threads a narrow channel through the reef out to the drop-off and returns along the wall; local lore says the island is named after contraband once smuggled through here.

What You Might See

Bigfin reef squid hovering in formation Hooded cuttlefish Cornetfish in the lagoon

Suitable for

Newly certified divers
Open Water level
Deep-dive training useful

Best time to dive here

Divable all year — the Red Sea has no closed season. Water runs from about 22°C in February to 30°C in August, and March–May and September–November give the most comfortable mix of warm water, light wind and good visibility. Conditions at this site: Protected moorings inside the lagoon; the crossing can be choppy in wind — good for all levels and training

Where it is

This site is the highlighted pin; the others are the rest of the reefs around Hurghada. Boat times are from the main harbour and vary with sea conditions.

Get directions Open in OpenStreetMap 27.02,33.905