Quseir is a small, relaxing town about midway between Hurghada and Marsa Alam. Among all other Red Sea Riviera destinations, it has preserved a small Egyptian village feel, with narrow alleys lined by wooden houses. The town was historically important for Red Sea travel and so some ancient ruins and fortifications are found here.

North and south of this historical area are the hotels and resorts of Quseir. They are located on incredible sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters. You can really relax and enjoy your time here, but where Quseir really shines is when it comes to snorkelling and scuba diving.

Snorkelling in Quseir:

The coast of Quseir is almost totally lined by the longest uninterrupted and well preserved fringing coral reef in the Red Sea. Quseir thus has become a paradise for snorkelers, as well as scuba divers.

The reef is full of life and colour and quite easy to reach right from the beach. The reefs in Quseir though can be a little challenging, because of the open sea, with some currents and waves. Nevertheless, with the high level of salinity, snorkeling in the Red Sea is easier than in other areas because the water is easier to float on. The water is also comfortable year-round, ranging between 21 and 27 degrees Celsius.

It is still important to follow our Snorkelling Guide tips, to see those areas where currents and waves can make it a bit more challenging.

One of the nicest spots for snorkelling in Quseir is the reef in front of Movenpick Hotel, where you can enter from the beach or jump in from the pontoon at the dive centre. In some cases around Quseir, this beautiful reef runs almost all the way to the beach. Quseir is definitely an amazing place to snorkel.

Most of the hotels in Quseir will offer snorkeling equipment and will organize all kinds of snorkeling trip, whether guided or unguided. You can use these to find the best places to snorkel in Quseir. Don’t forget that most kids can enjoy this great activity too and most of these centres will be happy to offer lessons to them. You can also hop on one of the scuba diving boats that go out on half and full day trips. This can be a great way to get to see some beautiful areas that are a little further away from your hotel or immediate area.

Please have a look at our Diving and Snorkelling Maps to check out the names and location of the area’s snorkelling sites.

In all cases, it is important to know the rules and behave responsibly while enjoying the sights that the Red Sea has to offer. The most important rule to remember is that you are there to watch, nothing more. You should never attempt to touch or walk on the reef. Not only is this dangerous for you, but it can also kill the reef. Remember that the reef is a living creature, even if it only looks like rock.

Here are the main rules to follow:

- Touching the coral reef can kill it.
- Never take anything
- Never leave anything behind.

These same rules apply to scuba diving as well.

Scuba diving in Quseir:

Scuba diving in Quseir is a beautiful and breathtaking experience. As mentioned above, this little town is blessed with a long and almost continuous fringing reef that runs all along its shore. This ensures that while on holiday in Quseir, your scuba diving will be as easy and as relaxing as possible.

Scuba diving in Quseir is mostly done from the shore, using resort jetties, zodiacs or boats or jeeps that can take you to diving spots out of town.

So what will you see while scuba diving holiday in Quseir?

With its position on an open sea and the presence of nourishing currents almost all the time, the waters around Quseir are teeming with life and beauty. The area is a famous for being a nesting area for sea turtles and a preserved eco-bay is set aside for their nesting.

The Quseir marine area is protected and the diving centres here operate under strict environmentally-friendly procedures, which mean that mooring buoys are present in all dive sites.

You'll enjoy exploring Quseir's coral covered pinnacles on the sandy slopes. Navigate and explore the labyrinth like coral gardens. Glide through narrow passages and blind alleys into the territory of the crocodile fish, moray eels, sea snakes, lionfish, porcupine fish and blue spotted stingrays. You may even find the elusive white tip or guitar sharks taking cover.

Here are the main scuba diving sites in Quseir

El Qadim: a beautiful drop a little north of town, with incredible sites along the wall.

Beit Goha: this is yet another coral wall that reaches depths of about 30m. Seeing some white tip reef sharks hiding here and there is not uncommon..

El Kaf: A beautiful and rich coral wall a little south of town.

Take a look at some of the other dive destinations:

• Erg Esel
• Green Hole
• Habili Sheik Malek
• Kilo 37 North
• Maklouf
• Mangrove Bay
• Marsa Wizri
• Quei Reef
• Ras Shouna
• Ras Torombi
• Sharm El Quibli
• Soug Bohar or Kilo 15 South

Because of its great location along the Red Sea coast, Quseir is also a departure point for liveaboards heading towards the legendary Brother Islands, made famous hammerheads and other large marine creatures.

Check out our Diving and Snorkelling Maps to have an idea of the location, accessibility and experience level required to dive in the Quseir dive sites.

While here in Quseir you can assures that there are reliable and professional diving centres that offer all kinds of services from organizing diving trips to offers certification and professional courses, not to mention technical diving. Even kids, starting at the age of 8 years, can enroll in scuba diving activities designed for them, such as the bubble-maker course.

Whatever it is you are searching for, when it comes to snorkeling and scuba diving, you can be sure that Quseir will have it. A beautiful, historic and relaxing town, it will give you an unforgettable Red Sea holiday.