Northern Red Sea Sailing

Cruising Guide · Red Sea

The northern Red Sea is where cruising sailors and diving boats have operated for decades, largely independently of the security situation that has made the southern Red Sea — below approximately 15 degrees north — a zone to avoid. The division is important: Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh, Aqaba, and Eilat are far removed from the Yemeni coast and the Bab-el-Mandeb strait. The northern Red Sea is, in normal times, a well-established sailing and liveaboard diving circuit with established marina infrastructure, reliable charter bases, and some of the most biologically significant coral reefs accessible by yacht anywhere in the world.

The northern Red Sea divides naturally into two distinct bodies of water at its apex: the Gulf of Suez running northwest toward the Suez Canal, and the Gulf of Aqaba running northeast toward the Jordanian and Israeli resort towns of Aqaba and Eilat. These two gulfs have different characters — the Gulf of Suez is wider, shallower, and commercially busier; the Gulf of Aqaba is narrow, deep, clear, and calm — and they serve different sailing purposes.

Hurghada and El Gouna: The Egyptian Red Sea Charter Base

Hurghada on Egypt's Red Sea coast is the operational center of Red Sea liveaboard diving — dozens of liveaboard boats departing weekly to the offshore reefs, the Brothers, Daedalus, and Elphinstone — but it also serves as the charter base for sailing the northern Red Sea. The marina infrastructure at Hurghada has improved significantly over the past two decades; the Abu Tig Marina at El Gouna, about 20 kilometres north of Hurghada proper, is the better option for yacht touring, with a purpose-built facility in a development that functions more smoothly than the older Hurghada marinas.

El Gouna itself is a planned resort town built by Egyptian developer Orascom — a lagoon system, hotels, restaurants, and water sports infrastructure that handles the administrative realities of Egypt (customs, port authority, coast guard) with more efficiency than most Egyptian ports. For a boat arriving from the Suez Canal or from Cyprus, El Gouna is the most straightforward Red Sea landfall.

The reefs offshore from Hurghada — Giftun Island, Sha'ab Abu Ramada, the Tiran Strait to the south — are accessible by day sail and represent the primary attraction for diving yachts. The Tiran Strait, at the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba, has some of the most biodiverse reef systems in the Red Sea: Jackson Reef, Woodhouse, Thomas, and Gordon reefs, named for the British naval officers who surveyed them. They are within reach of a weekend passage from Hurghada or a day sail from Sharm el-Sheikh.

The Sinai Peninsula and Gulf of Aqaba

Sharm el-Sheikh, at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, is the Red Sea's other major hub — historically more oriented toward diving than sailing, but with marina facilities and charter operations that serve both. Sharm's location at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba makes it the natural base for sailing north into the gulf or south toward the offshore reefs.

The Gulf of Aqaba is arguably the best sailing water in the northern Red Sea for a cruising yacht. It is roughly 180km long and 25km wide, running in a northeast-southwest orientation that channels the prevailing northerly wind into a consistent, reliable sailing breeze. The water is extraordinarily clear — visibility commonly exceeds 30 metres — and the depth is dramatic for such a narrow body of water, dropping to over 1,800 metres in the centre. The tidal range is minimal. The current is negligible. There is essentially no shipping traffic outside the approaches to Aqaba and Eilat. For a yacht on a steady passage, it is uncomplicated, beautiful sailing.

The Ras Mohammed National Park, at the very tip of the Sinai Peninsula where the Gulf of Aqaba meets the Gulf of Suez, is the marine protected area that anchors the reef system. The park encompasses some of the most photogenic diving in the Red Sea — the Shark Reef and Yolanda wreck combination is world-famous in diving circles — and is accessible by yacht from Sharm el-Sheikh in a short day sail. Anchoring within the park boundaries requires advance permission from the Egyptian authorities; the regulations are enforced with varying consistency, but the intention to protect the reef is genuine.

Aqaba, Jordan: The Most Welcoming Port

Aqaba, Jordan's only seaport, is consistently reported by visiting sailors as the smoothest customs experience in the region. The Aqaba Special Economic Zone authority has developed the port specifically to attract yacht tourism, and the attitude of customs and immigration officials reflects that policy — they are helpful rather than obstructive, the paperwork is manageable, and the process moves at a pace that does not consume an entire day.

The marina at Aqaba is functional if not luxurious. Fuel, water, and shore power are available. The town itself is compact and walkable, with good provisioning for the Red Sea (Jordan imports well, and the supermarkets carry more variety than their Egyptian counterparts). Alcohol is available without the complications that apply in some neighbouring countries. The hills of Wadi Rum — the desert landscape used as a stand-in for Mars in multiple films — are a short drive, and Petra is reachable as a day excursion, making Aqaba a reasonable base for exploring Jordan beyond the waterfront.

Eilat, Israel: Ten Minutes from Aqaba

Eilat, Israel's southern resort city, is geographically absurd in its proximity to Aqaba. The two cities share the head of the Gulf of Aqaba — the border crossing is a ten-minute walk from the Aqaba marina — and for sailors with the paperwork in order, sailing between them is a matter of a few hours across the narrowest part of the gulf. The geopolitical context makes this feel more complicated than the distance suggests, but for sailors who have already cleared Jordan, the Israel entry is generally straightforward.

The Red Sea Sailing Club at Eilat has operated for decades as the focal point of Israeli Red Sea sailing. The Coral Beach Nature Reserve, immediately south of the marina, protects a reef system that begins metres from the shore — one of the few places in the world where you can anchor a boat and snorkel on a healthy reef without leaving the harbour area. Israeli customs and immigration are efficient and thorough; budget time for the security questions, and have documentation in order.

One navigational note: the passage from Eilat or Aqaba south to Sharm el-Sheikh covers approximately 25 nautical miles. The northerly wind in the Gulf of Aqaba that makes sailing north a pleasure makes this southbound leg a beat or a motor — many boats do it overnight or early morning before the breeze builds. The Tiran Strait at the southern end of the Gulf has strong tidal flows and reef hazards that require careful navigation; the safe channels are well-marked and charted.

Diving from a Yacht: Why the Red Sea Justifies It

The Red Sea reefs that liveaboard diving boats access week after week — the Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone, the Fury Shoals — are genuinely inaccessible to day-boat divers from shore. They sit 50 to 100 nautical miles offshore. A private yacht, or a charter yacht with diving equipment aboard, can reach them on an overnight passage and anchor (where permitted) or drift-dive without competing with the twelve liveaboard boats that show up every weekend at the popular sites.

This is the singular argument for sailing rather than flying to the Red Sea: the quality differential between reef systems accessible from shore and those accessible only by overnight passage is substantial. The offshore reefs have shark populations, intact coral formations, and marine life density that the heavily dived coastal sites have lost. A sailing yacht is a liveaboard diving platform with a mast.

Gulf of Suez vs. Gulf of Aqaba

The Gulf of Suez, running northwest from roughly Hurghada toward the Suez Canal, is a different proposition from the Gulf of Aqaba. It is wider — up to 50km — shallower, subject to stronger wind and choppier sea state, and carries significant commercial traffic. The wind in the Gulf of Suez blows north in winter and south in summer with a consistency that makes it workable but not especially pleasant for a small yacht. The reefs are less spectacular than the Gulf of Aqaba's. The Gulf of Suez is a transit route, not a destination.

The Suez Canal approach from the south means staging at Suez Roads or one of the anchorages near the canal entrance after transiting the Gulf of Suez from Hurghada. The canal itself requires a licensed agent; do not attempt to arrange transit without one. The agent handles the pilot assignment, the convoy scheduling, and the considerable paperwork. Expect the transit to take two days — one day anchored waiting, one day transiting. The Suez transit is the gateway to the Mediterranean; boats heading west to winter in Europe or the Caribbean route through here in March and April.

← Middle East Guide  |  Oman Sailing →

Frequently Asked Questions

What distinguishes the Gulf of Aqaba from the Gulf of Suez for cruising sailors? The Gulf of Aqaba is roughly 180km long and 25km wide with extraordinary water clarity — visibility commonly exceeds 30 metres — and depth dropping to over 1,800 metres in the centre. The Gulf of Suez is wider, shallower, commercially busy, and carries significant shipping traffic. The article describes the Gulf of Aqaba as 'uncomplicated, beautiful sailing' while calling the Gulf of Suez a transit route rather than a destination.

What makes El Gouna's Abu Tig Marina the preferred Red Sea landfall for visiting yachts? El Gouna is a planned resort town built by Egyptian developer Orascom with purpose-built marina facilities that handle Egyptian customs, port authority, and coast guard requirements 'with more efficiency than most Egyptian ports.' The Abu Tig Marina sits about 20 kilometres north of Hurghada proper and is described as the better option over the older Hurghada marinas for yacht touring.

What is the cruising experience at Aqaba, Jordan, and why is it consistently reported positively? Aqaba, Jordan's only seaport, is consistently reported by visiting sailors as the smoothest customs experience in the region. The Aqaba Special Economic Zone authority developed the port specifically to attract yacht tourism, and officials are described as 'helpful rather than obstructive.' Fuel, water, shore power, good provisioning, and alcohol are available, and Petra is reachable as a day excursion.

What are the Tiran Strait reefs and why are they significant? The Tiran Strait at the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba contains some of the most biodiverse reef systems in the Red Sea: Jackson Reef, Woodhouse, Thomas, and Gordon reefs, named for the British naval officers who surveyed them. They are within reach of a weekend passage from Hurghada or a day sail from Sharm el-Sheikh, and accessible by yacht with diving equipment aboard.

What navigational hazard does the Tiran Strait present for boats heading south? The Tiran Strait at the southern end of the Gulf of Aqaba has strong tidal flows and reef hazards requiring careful navigation. The 25-nautical-mile passage from Eilat or Aqaba south to Sharm el-Sheikh beats against the prevailing northerly wind, so many boats do it overnight or early morning before the breeze builds. The safe channels are well-marked and charted.

What argument does the article make for sailing to the Red Sea's offshore reefs rather than flying? The offshore reefs of the Red Sea — the Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone, the Fury Shoals — sit 50 to 100 nautical miles offshore and are genuinely inaccessible to day-boat divers from shore. A private yacht can reach them on an overnight passage and dive without competing with the commercial liveaboard fleet. The article states: 'A sailing yacht is a liveaboard diving platform with a mast.'