El Gouna

El Gouna was built from 1989 as a private development on a stretch of coast north of Hurghada, laid out across a network of dug lagoons and artificial islands linked by bridges, with low buildings in a Nubian-influenced style, a marina, several hotels, a golf course and a downtown of restaurants and shops. It functions almost as a separate town with its own utilities, hospital and schools, and it is markedly cleaner and more ordered than the coast around it, which is both the appeal and the criticism. Kitesurfing on the flat shallow water is a major draw, the reefs offshore are reached by boat, and an annual film festival in autumn brings a different crowd. There is nothing historic; it is a designed resort in its entirety.

What you actually see

• Lagoons and bridged islands - the dug waterway plan of the town.
• The marina and downtown - the built centre of restaurants and shops.
• Kite lagoons - flat shallow water on the northern side.
• Offshore reefs - dive and snorkel sites a boat ride out.

When to go

October to May, with wind strongest for kiting from spring through summer. The film festival falls in autumn and fills the town. Three days to a week. Christmas, Easter and Egyptian holidays are peak.

Honest expectations

It is entirely artificial with no local life, which some visitors find sterile. Prices are the highest on this coast by a distance. Beaches are attached to hotels and day access is charged. Getting around requires the shuttle buses or taxis because the town is spread out.

Nearby

Hurghada is south along the coast; the desert mountains lie inland.