Hurghada Marina opened in 2008 and changed the shape of the city's evenings. Before it, there was Sekalla and the hotel bars. Now there is a waterfront promenade where you can walk for an hour with the yachts on one side and restaurants on the other, and where locals and visitors mix in roughly equal numbers.

What it is

A working marina with a landscaped promenade around it. Restaurants, cafes, bars and shops occupy the buildings facing the water; the boats occupy the water. During the day it is quiet and functional. From late afternoon it fills up, and it stays busy until well past midnight.

When to arrive

Come for sunset. The light across the water and the boats is the single best thing about the place, and it costs nothing. Arrive an hour before, walk the promenade, and take a table as the light goes. In summer that means around seven; in winter closer to five.

Eating and drinking

The range runs from seafood grills to Italian, Lebanese and international menus, plus shisha cafes and bars. You pay for the setting — prices here are higher than El Dahar or Sherry Street — and on a warm evening with the water in front of you, most people conclude it was worth it.

A few notes: menus are generally in English with prices shown; check whether service is included before adding a tip; and if you want the local seafood at local prices, El Dahar is a taxi ride away.

Boats leave from here

The marina is the departure point for most of the sea trips out of Hurghada — island days, snorkeling boats, diving trips and the submarines. If you have a trip booked for the morning it is worth walking down the evening before simply to know where you are going.

The Marina Boulevard and the mosque

At one end the promenade opens toward El Mina Mosque, whose twin minarets are the most photographed structure in Hurghada and are lit at night. It is a short walk and a good end to an evening.

Practical advice

  • Getting there: taxi from anywhere in the city. Agree the fare before you get in, and arrange the return or ask the driver to wait.
  • Cards are accepted in most restaurants; smaller cafes and kiosks prefer cash.
  • Dress: smart casual is fine. This is a tourist area and the dress code is relaxed, though modest clothing is still the courteous default in Egypt.
  • It is walkable and safe, well lit and busy until late.
  • Shop sellers are persistent but not aggressive. A friendly no is enough.

Our city tour includes the marina alongside the mosque, the fish market and the old town.