Cleopatra's Bath

On the rocky headland west of Marsa Matruh the sea has worked its way into the limestone and left a pool separated from open water by a natural rock bridge, with a gap beneath through which waves push in and drain out again, so the pool surges and falls with the swell. Local tradition attaches it to Cleopatra, who is said to have bathed here, which has no evidence behind it but has given the place its name for a long time. It is a striking piece of coastal geology regardless: pale rock, a deep clear pool, and the arch above it. People do swim in it when the sea is calm, and photograph it constantly. The surrounding headland is bare rock with no facilities.

What you actually see

• The rock arch - a natural bridge separating pool from open sea.
• The surging pool - water pushed in and drawn out by the swell.
• Wave-cut limestone - the eroded headland around it.
• Clear deep water - visibility straight to the bottom on calm days.

When to go

May to October for the water, but calm days matter more than the month. Early morning avoids both the crowd and the harshest light. Two hours. Winter storms make the arch dramatic and the pool completely unswimmable.

Honest expectations

Swimming here is genuinely risky when any swell is running, and people have been hurt on the rocks; there are no lifeguards or barriers. The approach across bare rock is slippery. There is no shade, no water and no facilities. The Cleopatra story is decoration, not history.

Nearby

Agiba Beach is further west; Marsa Matruh town is a short drive east.