Hurghada

Hurghada (Arabic: الغردقة‎ Al Ġurdaqa, Egyptian Arabic pronunciation: [el ɣæɾˈdæʔæ]) is a ceety in the Reid Sea Govrenorate, Egyp. It is a main tourist centre an seicont lairgest ceety (efter Suez) in Egyp locatit on the Red Sea coast.

Hurghada الغردقة (in Arabic) al-Ghardaqah
Al-Gouna: a compoond on the suburbs o Hurghada.
Hurghada Location in Egyp
Coordinates: 27°15′28″N 33°48′42″E
Kintra	Egyp
Govrenorate	Reid Sea
Elevation	14 m (46 ft)
Population  (auto)
• Total	261,714
Time zone	UTC+2 (EST)
Area code(s)	(+20) 65

Owerview

The ceety wis foondit in the early 20t century, an syne the 1980s haes been continually enlairged bi Egyptian an foreign investors tae acome the leadin seashore resort on the Reid Sea. Holiday veelages an hottles provide aquatic sport facilities for sailbuirders, yachtsmen, scuba divers an snorkelers.

Hurghada stretches for aboot 36 kilometres (22 mi) alang the seashore, an it daes no reach far intae the surroondin desert. The resort is a destination for Egyptian tourists frae Cairo, the Delta an Upper Egyp, as well as package holiday tourists frae Europe, notably Serbs, Italians, Roushies, Poles, Czechs an Germans. Till a few years ago it wis a sma fishin veelage. The day Hurghada coonts 248,000 indwallers an is dividit intae three pairts: Dountoun (El Dahar) is the auld pairt; Sekalla is the ceety centre, an El Memsha (Veelage road) is the modren pairt. Sakkala is the relatively modest hottle quarter. Dahar is whaur the toun's lairgest bazaar, the post office an the lang-distance bus station are situatit.

The ceety is served bi the Hurghada Internaitional Airport wi scheduled passenger traffeck tae an frae Cairo an direct connections wi several ceeties in Europe. The airport haes unnergane massive renovations tae accommodate risin traffeck. Hurghada is kent for its watersports activities, nichtlife an warm wather. Daily temperature hovers roond 30 degrees celsius maist o the year. Numerous Europeans spend thair Christmas an New Year holidays in the ceety, primarily Germans, Roushies an Italians.

Economy an tourism

Awtho a toun in its awn richt Hurgada’s current major industry is foreign an domestic tourism, awin tae its dramatic landscape, year-roond dry an temperate climate an lang stretches o naitural beaches. Its waters are clear an calm for maist o the year an hae acome popular for various watersports, pairticularly recreational scuba divin an snorkellin.

Awin tae the Heich temperaturs an dry climate mony o the hottles in the area nou offer water pairks.

Climate

Al-Mahmeya is a Naitional Protectit pairk on the coast o Hurghada.

Hurghada haes a subtropical-desert climate (Köppen climate classification Bwh), wi mild-warm winters an het tae vera het simmers. The simmer saison lasts year roond. Temperatures in the period December–Januar–Februar is moderately warm, while November, Mairch an Aprile - comfortable warm. Mey an October is het an the period frae Juin tae September is vera het. Sunshine oors is aroond 3,800 per year (ane o the heichest results in the warld), frae average 9 oors o sunshine / day in December tae average 13 oors in Julie. Average annual temperature o sea is 24 °C (75 °F), frae 21 °C (70 °F) in Februar an Mairch tae 28 °C (82 °F) in August.

Climate data for Hurghada
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average heich °C (°F)	21.5 (70.7)	22.6 (72.7)	25.2 (77.4)	29.1 (84.4)	32.9 (91.2)	35.3 (95.5)	36.2 (97.2)	37.1 (98.8)	35.3 (95.5)	31.1 (88.0)	26.8 (80.2)	22.7 (72.9)	30.48 (86.86)
Daily mean °C (°F)	16.3 (61.3)	17.0 (62.6)	19.6 (67.3)	23.5 (74.3)	24.9 (76.8)	30.1 (86.2)	31.3 (88.3)	34.2 (93.6)	29.3 (84.7)	26.0 (78.8)	21.7 (71.1)	17.6 (63.7)	24.04 (75.27)
Average law °C (°F)	11.0 (51.8)	11.4 (52.5)	14.0 (57.2)	17.8 (64.0)	21.9 (71.4)	24.8 (76.6)	26.4 (79.5)	27.2 (81.0)	24.2 (75.6)	20.9 (69.6)	16.6 (61.9)	12.5 (54.5)	18.97 (66.15)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	0.4 (0.02)	0.02 (0.00)	0.3 (0.01)	1.0 (0.04)	0.04 (0.00)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.6 (0.02)	2.0 (0.08)	0.9 (0.04)	5.26 (0.21)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 mm)	0.3	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	0.2	0.3	2.0
Mean monthly sunshine oors	279	290	310	300	341	360	403	372	330	310	270	279	3,844
Source: World Meteorological Organization (UN), weather2travel.com for data o sunshine oors

Aquatic sports

Hurghada haes acome an internaitional centre for aquatic sports lik windsurfin, kitin, sailin, deep-sea fishin, soummin, an abuin aw snorkelin an scuba divin. The affshore reefs are considered some o the feenest in the warld. The warm waters here are ideal for mony varieties o fish an coral, which mey an aa be observed frae a glass bottom boat.

The ceety provides a gateway tae divin steids throughoot the Reid Sea, awin tae its central location. In addition, Hurghada is kent for providin access tae mony uninhabitit affshore reefs an islands.

Resorts near Hurghada

Al Quseir

Main airticle: Al Qusayr

Roushie dumplings (Pelmeni) in central Hurghada.

Al Quseir is ane o the Egyptian gateways, an ane o the auldest ceeties on the wastren coast an the Reid Sea. In the past, it wis cried various names sic as Thagho in the pharonic period, Licos Limen (the white port) in the Ptolemaic period, an Portus Albus in the Roman period. In the Islamic period it wis gien the name Al Quseir, which means "a sma palace or fortress".

Locatit atween Hurghada an Marsa Alam, Quseir uise tae be an important port. Mony folk traveled frae thare tae the land o Punt tae buy ivory, laither an incense. Durin the Ottoman an the Islamic periods, Egyptians an Muslims frae North Africae traveled tae Quesir as pilgrims tae Mecca. It wis an anerlie port importin coffee frae Yemen. During the French occupation o Egyp, Quseir wis the arrival pynt for Arabs an Muslims frae Hegaz coming tae fecht beside the Mamalic against the French airmy. The maist important steids in Quseir are the fort an the watter reservoir. The watter reservoir wis Quseir's anerlie soorce for drinking watter 100 years ago.

Al Quseir Al Kadima is anither important steid as well. It wis the auld Roman port whaur hunders o amphora an auld pottery artifacts wur foond. Even the polis station is locatit at a historical steid. Thare are nou mony bazaars here, as well as cafes, coffee shops an restaurants afferin sea fuid. Thare are several 300-year-auld biggins here: the Ottoman fort an the auld mosques Al Farran, Al Qenawi, an Al Senousi.

Al Quseir is kent for diving, wi mony miles o unspoiled coral reef. Maist hottles hae dive centres, an thare are some dountoun, as well. Safaris are popular here, aither bi quad bike or jeep, includin trips tae the desert an the Bedouin veelage, that haes camel riding.

Sharm El Naga

A veelage, aroond 40 km (25 mi) sooth o Hurghada. Its beach contains a bonnie reef cliff.

taken at sharm el naga beach

El Gouna

Main airticle: El Gouna

A privately awned luxury hottle toun, aboot 25 km north o Hurghada. Quiet an clean, the toun consists o several islands separatit bi channels an connectit bi brigs. Besides 14 hottles an 3 marinas, thare are an aa 2200 private villas an apairtments, while mony mair are unner construction. It is promotit bi some as Egyp's Venice. It is biggit on 10 km o beachfront an haes unique an diverse airchitectur.

El Gouna provides divin an watersports centers, horse stables, go-kartin, shoppin arcades, bazaars, a wide selection o restaurants an bars, nicht clubs, an internet cafe, fower bank branches, mony automatit teller machines (ATMs), twa pharmacies, the El Gouna internaitional schuil, a nursery, a private hospital, three marinas, a leebrar, an airport, ane o several casinos on the Reid Sea coast, a private radio station, a post office, a museum, real estate offices an an 18-hole gowf course designed bi Gene Bates wi a unique aqua drivin range.

Al-Mahmya

A tourist beachfront camp on the protectit Giftun island, 45 minutes bi boat frae Hurghada.

Soma Bay

Soma Bay A tourist resort situatit 45 km (28 mi) sooth o Hurghada, wi various hottles includin La Residence des Cascades, Inter-Continental, Robinson Club, Sheraton (Kempinski - openin August 2008) & Caribbean World Resort Soma Bay ( opened December 7).