Nuweiba

Nuweiba spreads along about ten kilometres of the Gulf of Aqaba coast in three separate parts: the port with its ferry to Jordan, the town, and Tarabin to the north where the beach camps are. Those camps are the reason most travellers come, simple huts of concrete or palm frond right on the sand, with mattresses, hammocks and a restaurant, at prices that have stayed low. The gulf here is narrow, so the mountains of Saudi Arabia stand clearly across the water and change colour through the day, and the sunrise comes up directly over them. Reef runs along much of the shore and the snorkelling is decent though not the best in Sinai. The town is a base for desert trips inland rather than a destination in itself.

History

The coast around Nuweiba was the home of two Bedouin tribes, the Tarabin to the north and the Muzeina about 8 km to the south, and the name Tarabin still belongs to the northern part of the town. Nuweiba castle was built in 1893 on top of the remains of a still older castle. The modern town grew in three parts along the shore, and Nuweiba Port, some 7 km to the south, was developed with several car ferries a day across the gulf to Aqaba in Jordan, run by the Arab Bridge Maritime company, with a small town growing up around it (Wikipedia, Nuweiba).

Highlights

• Beach camps on the sand - huts and hammocks a few metres from the water.
• Mountains across the gulf - the Arabian coast in clear view.
• Sunrise over the water - the gulf facing east from this shore.
• Fringing reef - snorkelling straight off several stretches of beach.

When to go

October to May. Camps are quietest midweek and outside Egyptian holidays. Two to three days is the usual stay, longer if using it as a base for desert trips. Winter nights on the beach are cold and camps have limited bedding.

Good to know

The town is scattered and shabby with a lot of unfinished construction, and tourism here has never recovered its earlier volume. Camp facilities are basic and hot water is not guaranteed. There is little to do after dark. Alcohol is limited and the setting is conservative.

Nearby

Taba is north toward the border; Dahab and the Blue Hole lie south.