Sanganeb and the Red Sea

Off the Sudanese coast near Port Sudan, the Sanganeb atoll rises like an isolated coral tower from the deep blue of the Red Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage marine site and one of the most spectacular and pristine reefs on earth. Crowned by a solitary lighthouse, this ring-shaped reef and the nearby Dungonab Bay teem with extraordinary life, walls of vivid coral plunging into the depths, clouds of reef fish, sharks, manta rays, turtles and dolphins in famously clear, warm water. Long treasured by divers as one of the finest and least-crowded diving destinations in the world, Sudan's Red Sea coast is a marine wilderness of dazzling beauty.

What you actually see

• The Sanganeb atoll - the isolated coral tower and its lighthouse.
• The coral walls - the vivid reefs plunging into the deep.
• The marine life - the sharks, rays, turtles and reef fish.
• The clear waters - the pristine, warm Red Sea diving.

When to go

Spring and autumn, roughly March to May and September to November, offer the best diving conditions with warm, calm, clear water, avoiding the harshest summer heat; the Red Sea is a year-round destination but most comfortable outside high summer. Diving is the main way to experience the reefs.

Honest expectations

Sanganeb is an offshore reef reached only by boat, often on multi-day diving trips from Port Sudan, so it suits divers and snorkellers rather than casual sightseers, and facilities on this remote coast are limited. As a UNESCO World Heritage coral wilderness of pristine reefs and abundant marine life, one of the world's finest and least-crowded diving destinations, though, Sudan's Red Sea is a genuine treasure.

Nearby

The port city of Port Sudan and Dungonab Bay lie on the mainland coast.