Dahab is a small, relaxed town on the Gulf of Aqaba in South Sinai, with the sea on one side and the mountains on the other. Divers have come here for decades, and it has become a favourite for long stays: people come for a weekend and stay a month.
Most visitors rent a furnished apartment or a chalet rather than a hotel room. You get a kitchen, more space and, often, a terrace or a garden, and many hosts offer lower prices for weekly and monthly stays.
Where to stay in Dahab
Lighthouse and Masbat are the busy centre along the seafront promenade, with cafés, restaurants, dive centres and shops within walking distance. Convenient and lively, and noisier at night.
Mashraba, next to the centre, is a little quieter and still walkable to everything. Asala, further north, is a more local neighbourhood, calmer and often cheaper, close to the reef.
Eel Garden, at the northern end of town, is quiet, with good snorkelling straight from the shore. The Lagoon (Laguna), in the south, is where the kitesurfing and windsurfing schools are.
What to do
Dahab is one of the best-known diving spots in the Red Sea, with sites such as the Blue Hole and the Canyon and dive centres for every level, including freediving. Many reefs can be snorkelled straight from the shore.
Out of the water, you can spend a day in the Ras Abu Galum protected area north of town, take a desert trip by jeep or camel, or join an organised night hike up Mount Sinai to watch the sunrise.
When to go
Dahab is warm most of the year. October to May is the most comfortable time for a long stay, with sunny days and cool evenings. Summer is hot, so air conditioning matters.
It is often windy, which is why kitesurfers and windsurfers love it. Eid holidays and the New Year period are the busiest times.
Getting there and getting around
The nearest airport is Sharm El Sheikh, about an hour away by car. From Cairo, the drive across Sinai takes most of a day, and several bus companies run coaches.
In town, most places are within walking distance of the seafront. Taxis cover longer trips, and a car is useful if you stay in Asala or Eel Garden and want to explore the coast.