An independent guide to Ras Banas, edited in Cairo. Not affiliated with any tour operator, developer or government body.
Things to do in Ras Banas and the deep south of the Red Sea: beaches, islands, dolphins, desert
The city does not exist, but the coast does, and it is the emptiest stretch of the Egyptian Red Sea: a national park the size of a small country, a beach people compare to the Maldives, a resident pod of dolphins, mangroves, kite lagoons and an ancient port. This page is what you can actually do around Ras Banas today, where each thing is, what it costs, and when to go. Diving has its own page.
Ras Banas activities at a glance
| What | Where | Cost and time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beach day at Sharm El Luli (Ras Hankorab) | Wadi El Gemal National Park, about 100 km north of Ras Banas | Park entrance fee; bring everything, there are no facilities | Confirmed (Oct 2026) |
| Snorkelling with dolphins at Sataya | Boat from Hamata marina, 4 hours | About USD 70 per adult with lunch, as listed on booking sites | Reported (Oct 2026) |
| Mangroves and islands at Qulaan | Wadi El Gemal coast, Hamata islands | Day trip by car or boat; park fee | Confirmed (Oct 2026) |
| Kitesurfing | Wadi Lahami and Hamata lagoons | October to June; schools at the dive villages | Reported (2026) |
| Desert and Ababda culture | Wadi El Gemal valley, Sikait emerald mines | Jeep or camel trips from the resorts | Confirmed (Oct 2026) |
| History | Berenike, the Ptolemaic and Roman port next to Ras Banas | Active excavation; visits depend on permits | Reported (2026) |
| Diving and liveaboards | Fury Shoals, St John’s, Zabargad, Rocky Island | See the diving guide | Confirmed (Oct 2026) |
Ras Banas beaches and islands
Confirmed (Oct 2026) The peninsula itself has no public beach: it has been a military area for decades and the planned city has not been built. The beaches people mean when they search for Ras Banas are the national park beaches between Marsa Alam and Hamata, and the islands off Hamata.
| Beach or island | What it is | How to get there |
|---|---|---|
| Sharm El Luli (Ras Hankorab) | A white-sand bay with shallow turquoise water and a reef at the edge; the beach the whole south is photographed from. No hotel, no shade, no shop | About 40 km south of Marsa Alam town on the coast road; park entrance fee |
| Qulaan mangroves | A lagoon with mangrove trees, flamingos in winter and a Bedouin tea hut; the only place on this coast where the desert meets a forest | Coast road inside Wadi El Gemal, signposted; park fee |
| Hamata islands (Qulaan archipelago) | Four low islands with reefs around them, reached by boat for snorkelling and a beach lunch | Boat trips from Hamata marina and the Hamata resorts |
| Wadi El Gemal Island | The park’s largest island, a nesting site for sea birds and turtles; landing restricted | Seen from boat trips; landing only with the park’s permission |
| Lahami Bay | More than 3 km of resort beach with a house reef a few hundred metres out; the southernmost swimmable beach with facilities | Lahami Bay Beach Resort, about 45 km from Ras Banas; see hotels |
| Ras Banas and Foul Bay | Long empty shores on both sides of the peninsula; today reached only by liveaboards anchoring off Zabargad and St John’s | Not accessible by land to visitors |
Wadi El Gemal National Park was created in 2003 and covers about 7,450 km², 4,770 on land and 2,100 at sea; new protectorate fees of about USD 5 per foreign visitor per day were gazetted in April 2025.
Real photographs: Ras Hankorab beach, the Wadi El Gemal coast and the harbour at Hamata. All Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA.
Sataya Dolphin Reef: snorkelling with the spinner dolphins
Reported (Oct 2026) Sataya is a horseshoe reef about 10 km long off Hamata, home to a resident school of spinner dolphins that rest in the lagoon in the morning. Day trips leave from Hamata marina, about 165 km south of Marsa Alam airport: a typical listed trip is about 4 hours, two snorkel stops (one with the dolphins, one on the reef), lunch and equipment, around USD 70 per adult. Overnight trips on a boat are also sold from Marsa Alam.
Go early, stay with the guide, do not chase, touch or swim into the pod. The dolphins come to Sataya to rest; boats that push into the lagoon are the reason the park now regulates the site.
Wadi El Gemal National Park: desert, emerald mines and the Ababda
Confirmed (Oct 2026) Wadi El Gemal, “the valley of the camels”, runs from the mountains to the sea south of Marsa Alam and became a national park in 2003. Reported (Wikipedia, 2026) It covers about 7,450 km², with more than 1,200 fish species and 450 coral species offshore, dugongs and green turtles in the seagrass, and Nubian ibex, Dorcas gazelle and Barbary sheep in the mountains. Inland, the Roman emerald mines of Sikait (Mons Smaragdus) are a half-day jeep trip with ruined temples and miners’ houses cut into the rock.
Confirmed (Oct 2026) The valley is the home of the Ababda, a Beja people who run the camel trips, the tea huts at Qulaan and most of the park guiding. Trips are booked through the resorts and dive villages; there is no public transport inside the park.
Kitesurfing at Wadi Lahami and Hamata
Reported (operator sites, 2026) The lagoon at Wadi Lahami is flat, shallow and reef-protected, with the wind from October to June, which is why the dive village there runs a kite station alongside the dive centre. Hamata has a second lagoon and a kite school at the resort. Equipment rental and lessons are booked on the spot; bring your own board in high season when stock runs out.
Berenice: the ancient port next to Ras Banas
Confirmed (Oct 2026) Berenice is the small port and naval town on the mainland side of the Ras Banas peninsula. The modern town has a commercial harbour, Egypt’s southernmost airport (no public flights yet) and a few basic hotels for workers. Reported (2026) Next to it lies Berenike Troglodytica, the port founded by Ptolemy II in the 3rd century BC through which Rome traded with India; excavations since the 1990s have found temples, a pet cemetery and Buddhist and Indian objects. It is an active dig, not a managed tourist site: visiting depends on the season and permits, so ask your resort before driving down.
Context (Oct 2026) This is also the part of the coast the planned Ras Banas city would transform. See the home page for what exists and what might be built, and the FAQ on the airport.
When to go
| Months | Weather and sea | Best for | Our verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| October to April | Air 22 to 30°C, sea 22 to 26°C, steady wind | Beaches, kitesurfing, desert trips, European package season | The season; book Lahami Bay and the dive villages early |
| May to June | Warming fast, sea 26 to 28°C, calmer | Dolphins, diving, quiet beaches | Best balance of warm water and few people |
| July to September | Air 35 to 40°C, sea 29 to 30°C | Diving and snorkelling; desert trips only at dawn | Fine if you live in the water; cheaper rooms |
Temperatures are typical ranges for the southern Red Sea coast; our verdict column is opinion.
What the Ras Banas project could change
Our estimate (Oct 2026) Of the eight coastal mega projects we compared on the home page, all eight built a marina and a town centre, seven built beach clubs and five built diving and nature programmes. If Ras Banas follows them, the activities above get a base 45 minutes closer, a marina for the Sataya and island boats, and an airport. The risk is the same one every park coast faces: more boats on a reef that today sees a handful a week. We will report on the park rules as they change, and we will not list “planned” beach clubs or marinas until they exist.
Things to do in Ras Banas FAQ
What is there to do in Ras Banas right now?
On the peninsula itself, nothing for visitors: it is a military area with no hotel or public beach. Around it there is a lot: the beaches and mangroves of Wadi El Gemal National Park, the Sataya dolphin reef, the Hamata islands, kitesurfing at Wadi Lahami, desert trips to the Sikait emerald mines, and the best diving in Egypt.
Is there a beach in Ras Banas?
Not a public one. The nearest beaches with access are Lahami Bay (resort beach, about 45 km) and, further north, Sharm El Luli and Qulaan inside Wadi El Gemal National Park.
How much is the Sataya dolphin trip?
Day trips from Hamata marina are listed at around USD 70 per adult for about 4 hours including lunch and snorkel equipment, as of October 2026. Prices vary by operator and season.
Do I need a permit for Wadi El Gemal?
You pay a protectorate entrance fee; a new schedule of about USD 5 per foreign visitor per day was gazetted in April 2025. Some islands and the ancient sites need additional permission, which the resorts arrange.
Can I visit the ancient port of Berenike?
Sometimes. It is an active archaeological excavation next to the modern town of Berenice, not a managed tourist site. Access depends on the digging season and permits; ask your resort or dive village before going.
When is the best time for beaches and kitesurfing near Ras Banas?
October to April for kitesurfing and comfortable beach days; May and June for warm sea and fewer people. July and August are very hot on land but good in the water.
Is Ras Banas good for families?
Today it is a destination for divers, kitesurfers and people who want empty beaches. Families do well at Lahami Bay or in Marsa Alam, with day trips south. There is no town, restaurant strip or shopping anywhere near the peninsula.
How do I get around?
There is no public transport. Resorts arrange airport transfers and excursions; a hire car from Marsa Alam works for the coast road and the park beaches, but not for the islands, which need a boat.
Sources and how this page is checked
Facts marked reported come from Wikipedia, Wadi El Gemal National Park, an Expedia listing for the Sataya day trip, Red Sea Diving Safari, Wadi Lahami, Ahram Online on the southern beaches, Wikipedia, Berenice Troglodytica and CairoScene on the April 2025 protectorate fees, read on 2 and 3 October 2026. We name operators so you can check them; we have no agreement with any of them today. If that changes, it will be disclosed here first.
Plan a few days in the south, or just ask
Tell us your dates, who is coming and what you like: water, desert, both, or just a beach and a book. We answer on WhatsApp within a working day with a simple plan and the operators we would use, no sales pitch. If you also want to hear when Ras Banas itself becomes real, say so and we add you to the alerts list.
Ras Banas City is an independent website. We do not sell trips. Figures marked “reported” come from the pages listed above and change with the season. Privacy policy and disclaimer.