Schnorcheltour in Hurghada

You do not need a tank to fall in love with the Red Sea. On this full-day boat trip the captain anchors over shallow, sheltered reefs where the coral starts barely a metre below the surface — places where snorkellers genuinely see almost as much as the divers below them. Expect dense clouds of sergeant majors and goatfish, anemones with their resident clownfish, parrotfish crunching audibly on the coral, and if luck is on your side a turtle or an eagle ray gliding past the reef edge.

The boat typically visits two or three different spots during the day, each chosen for calm, clear water. A guide is in the water with the group at every stop — pointing out marine life, helping nervous swimmers, and keeping everyone comfortably inside the sheltered area. Life jackets and flotation aids are available, which makes the trip genuinely family-friendly; children as young as six are welcome as long as they are comfortable in the water with a parent nearby.

Between swims you relax on the sun deck while the crew prepares a fresh lunch on board, with coffee, tea, water and soft drinks available throughout the day. Masks, snorkels and fins can be rented if you do not have your own. Divers and snorkellers often share the same boat, so mixed groups — one partner diving, the other snorkelling — work perfectly. Pickup and drop-off at all Hurghada hotels is included; hotels in Makadi Bay, Sahl Hasheesh and El Gouna are served for a €20 per car per day surcharge.