Ras Um Sid

Ras Um Sid is one of Sharm el-Sheikh's iconic shore dives — a lighthouse headland where a coral wall bristling with giant gorgonian fans plunges straight into the blue. From the promenade above, steps and easy entries lead onto a reef that teems with anthias, snappers and passing pelagics along the current-fed drop-off.

Snorkellers get plenty too, drifting over the shallow shelf before the wall falls away. The headland's cafés and viewpoints make it an all-day spot: dive or snorkel the fan-covered wall in the morning, then watch the light change over the strait toward Tiran from the clifftop terrace.