Country Gees

El Gouna is a full service resort. The resort village of El Gouna offers an active beach holiday on the shores of the Red Sea in Egypt. Construction began on El Gouna in the early 1990s and in twenty years it has become one of Egypt’s most popular holiday destinations.

A holiday village built for tourists

El Gouna is located on the shores of the Red Sea in Egypt. Hurghada is located about 30 kilometers to the south of the destination and the Egyptian capital Cairo about 500 kilometers to the north.

El Gouna is a holiday village built by the Orascom hotel group on 20 small islands, where you will find all the services that tourists need. El Gouna has little actual local population, but the population of the holiday village consists mainly of tourists as well as employees of hotels, shops, restaurants and service companies.

The surroundings of El Gouna are really beautiful, so it is no wonder that it was this place that was chosen as the location for the new holiday village. In addition to the Red Sea, canals and lagoons add to the city’s coastline, and there are small stone bridges across the canals that connect the hotel areas.

El Gouna is a holiday destination especially for active and beach holidaymakers. El Gouna is especially known for its water sports facilities and is also a favorite holiday destination for Arab millionaires.

Hot and dry climate

For travel agencies, El Gouna is a winter holiday destination in particular, offering sun and warmth in the midst of Finnish frosts. However, holiday trips to El Gouna are also available during the summer season.

Set in a desert setting, El Gouna has a hot and dry climate. The coolest in El Gouna is December-February, when average daily temperatures remain at 20 degrees. In the spring and fall, the day’s highest temperatures hurt to about 30 degrees, and during the summer months, the mercury sinks to close to 40 degrees.

A water sportsman’s paradise

El Gouna is especially famous for its water sports. An active holidaymaker can enjoy diving and snorkelling, water skiing, windsurfing and parasailing in El Gouna. There are several diving schools in El Gouna.

There are several beaches in the resort town and each hotel has its own. Although many hotels are located inland far from the Red Sea, these hotels also have their own beach strip by the canal.

Zeytouna and Mangroovy are the most popular beaches in El Gouna. Zeytouna is located on its own island and offers a variety of beach services from parasols to beach bars.

In the middle of the beaches, El Gouna has a well-maintained 18-hole golf course, so the resort is also popular with golfers.

Security and customs

Although Egypt is generally a reasonably safe holiday destination, there are occasional unrest in the country. Egypt’s protests in 2011 nearly emptied the country of tourists, but efforts have since been made to revive tourism. The security situation and travel bulletins in Egypt can be followed on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs .

As a Muslim country, Egypt also has certain dress codes for tourists. Mosques and outside hotel areas should be dressed appropriately, meaning both shoulders and knees should be covered. Egyptian law prohibits sun worship in the topless, which is also worth respecting.

FLIGHTS, ACCOMMODATION AND MOVEMENT IN EL GOUNA

Lots of package tours to the destination

Finland has good air connections to Egypt, especially during the winter season. The direct flight to Egypt takes about five hours.

The nearest airport to El Gouna is Hurghada International Airport, located about 25 km south of El Gouna. Flights to Egypt cost around € 400-500. El Gouna is also a destination for many travel agents during the winter season.

Hotels and accommodation

El Gouna is a city born for travelers and appears in the hotel offer. There are about 20 hotels in El Gouna, several of which are five-star accommodations. Due to the freshness of the resort, the hotels are also new and modern.

The high-quality hotel offer is often also reflected in the price level of the property. In El Gouna, a hotel night costs on average between € 50 and € 120, depending on the level desired.

The resort is accessible on foot and by bus

Getting around El Gouna is easy by minibus, taxi or on foot.

Minibuses run heavily between hotels and places to visit, and the journey costs less than a euro. Taxi travel is also affordable in El Gouna. A taxi ride has a fixed price of about a couple of euros in the holiday village. Many hotels offer free access to a golf course, for example.

Car traffic in El Gouna is limited and the routes are in good condition, so walking is always a viable option.

Bus service is really cheap in Egypt and there are daily connections from El Gouna to Hurghada and Cairo, for example. A bus trip to Hurghada costs less than a euro and to Cairo about eight euros.

El Gouna hotels also have regular boat connections to the island of Zeytouna, for example.

ATTRACTIONS OF EL GOUNA

Zeytouna Island

El Gouna’s most famous beach area is located on its own island, which can be reached by boat or bridge. From the narrow, 400-meter-long pier, you can take a dip in the deeper waters and coral reefs of Zeytouna Island.

On the small island of Zeytouna you can enjoy the soft sand and sun, as well as water sports. For example, you can rent a pedal boat from the beach or go surfing and kayaking.

The island also offers a variety of beach services as well as an organized program such as dance lessons. Sun loungers, towels, drinks and other additional services are subject to a charge, unless you happen to be staying in one of the nearby hotels.

Port of Abu Tig

The port of Abu Tig was one of the first marinas built in the Red Sea. Abu Tig Harbor offers sea and luxury yachts, as well as shops and restaurants.

The port of Abu Tig hosts many races each year where Race Boats measure each other. Competitions in the port include Med-Red, Vasco de Gama and the Blue Water Rally.

Mangroovy beach

Mangroovy Beach, north of Abu Tig Harbor, is especially known as a base for windsurfers. Mangroovy also offers several other water sports, such as kayaking and surfing.

There are many services on the beach and its feel. Those who spend a day at the beach can use, for example, the showers on the beach and the campfires that warm up in the evening. There are also restaurants and bars by the beach.

Tawila Island

El Gouna is surrounded by quiet small islands that provide a place to relax in scenic surroundings. One such island is Twila. At Twila you can enjoy white beach sand and crystal clear sea.

Twila is about an hour’s boat ride from El Gouna. When luck kicks during a boat trip, you can spot dolphins.

The best activities in El Gouna

1. Diving
2. Windsurfing
3. Golf
4. Boat trip to nearby islands
5. Day trip to Hurghada