El Gouna is a purpose-built resort town on the Red Sea coast, about 20 km north of Hurghada and a short drive from Hurghada International Airport. It was laid out around a network of lagoons and small islands rather than along a single beachfront, and that shape is what makes it feel different from the hotel strip further south.

How it is arranged

The town is built on a series of connected lagoons, with bridges and causeways linking the districts. Kafr El Gouna is the older quarter near the northern end, Downtown is the commercial centre, and Abu Tig Marina is where the boats and most of the waterfront restaurants are. Hotels, apartments and private villas are spread across all three, so where you stay decides how much walking or tuk-tuk riding you will do.

Diving and water sports

The reefs north of Hurghada are less dived than those around Sharm El Sheikh, and several sites are within a short boat ride of the marina. The lagoon layout also makes El Gouna a good base for windsurfing and kitesurfing, with flat water inside the lagoons and steady wind along the open coast. Boat trips to the offshore islands and to Giftun run from Abu Tig Marina.

The El Gouna Film Festival

El Gouna has hosted an annual film festival since 2017, usually in the autumn, which brings screenings, premieres and a noticeable crowd to the town for about a week. Visitors who are not interested in the festival should check the dates before booking, because hotel prices rise sharply while it runs.

Beaches, golf and downtime

There are several beaches, most attached to hotels but with a few open to the public, and a golf course on the inland side of town. The Red Sea is calm and shallow inside the lagoons, which suits families with young children, and the mangroves and reefs along the coast are protected.

Eating and shopping

Downtown and the marina together hold most of the restaurants, covering Egyptian, Mediterranean and international menus, with the usual spread of price levels. Shopping is quieter than in Hurghada: a few boutiques and local craft shops rather than a large bazaar.

Practical notes

  • El Gouna has its own internal transport, including tuk-tuks and shuttle buses, so a central hotel is less important than it would be elsewhere.
  • The town is quieter than Hurghada and less suited to late-night nightlife.
  • Getting to Hurghada itself takes about twenty minutes by road.
  • If you are combining El Gouna with day trips, Hurghada is the departure point for most of them.

El Gouna works best if you want a resort week with more variety of scenery than a single hotel complex offers, and you do not mind that the town was designed rather than grown. For reef diving, desert trips and day excursions further afield, base yourself in Hurghada and treat El Gouna as an easy afternoon or an alternative place to stay.