Maamoura Beach

Maamoura is a classic Alexandrian summer beach on the city's eastern edge, where rows of coloured bathing cabins line a sheltered bay of calm, shallow water. It has an old-world, family-holiday feel — parasols, paddling children and vendors with tea and grilled corn — that captures how Egyptians have summered by the Mediterranean for generations.

The enclosed cove keeps the water gentle, making it good for a relaxed swim rather than dramatic surf. Come for the atmosphere as much as the sand: this is local seaside life, unhurried and cheerful, best paired with a plate of fresh fish from a nearby corniche restaurant afterwards.