Safaga & Soma Bay
What is Safaga known for?
Safaga is a port town on the Red Sea, about an hour south of Hurghada. It is known for its steady wind, which makes it one of the coast's windsurfing and kitesurfing centres, and for quiet reefs offshore.
It is a working town rather than a resort. The stays that suit our clients are at Soma Bay, the resort peninsula just to its north, and Safaga sits at the start of the road that crosses the desert to the Nile, so Luxor is within easy reach.
- Soma Bay
- Panorama Reef
- Black sand beaches
Wind & Water
A coast for clients who want to be on the water, not just beside it.
Windsurfing & kitesurfing
A steady wind blows along this coast for much of the year, and Soma Bay and Safaga have schools and stations for every level, with private lessons for beginners.
The reefs
Quieter reefs offshore, including Panorama Reef, reached by boat for diving and snorkelling, with fewer boats than off Hurghada.
The black sands
Safaga’s dark mineral sands have long drawn visitors for traditional sand bathing, a local practice some clients like to try.
The Gateway to Luxor
The nearest stretch of the Red Sea to the Nile Valley.
The road from Safaga crosses the Eastern Desert to the Nile at Qena, so Luxor is closer from here than from most of the coast. That makes Safaga and Soma Bay a natural pairing with Luxor, at either end of the journey.
Clients usually fly in through Hurghada, about an hour to the north.
Safaga for the Trade
- Getting there
- Through Hurghada International Airport, about an hour to the north by road.
- Time needed
- Three or four nights; longer for clients learning to windsurf or kitesurf.
- When to go
- All year. The wind is part of the appeal for water sports, and can make beach days breezier.
- Where to stay
- At Soma Bay, the resort peninsula north of the town, rather than in Safaga itself.
- Pairs with
- Luxor by road, Hurghada to the north, and Marsa Alam to the south.
Journeys That Can End Here
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Safaga good for windsurfing and kitesurfing?
Yes. A steady wind blows along this coast for much of the year, and Soma Bay and Safaga have stations and schools for every level, including private lessons for beginners.
Should my clients stay in Safaga or Soma Bay?
At Soma Bay, the resort peninsula just north of the town. Safaga itself is a working port town.
How far is Safaga from Luxor?
It is the closest part of the Red Sea coast to Luxor, by the road across the desert to Qena, which makes it a natural pairing with the Nile Valley. Journey times are confirmed in the proposal.
Tell us who is coming to Safaga.
Share the travellers, the dates and what they want from Safaga. We will come back with how it fits their journey.
All destinationsPlanning for yourself? Triways works through travel professionals; your advisor can bring the brief to us. Or write to info@triways.travel.