Attraction Details
Overview
Ras Mohammed National Park
It is Egypt’s oldest and most celebrated marine protected area, established in 1983 at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula where the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba converge. The park encompasses 480 square kilometers of land and sea, protecting some of the most biodiverse coral reef systems in the world — reef walls dropping hundreds of meters into the abyss, teeming with sharks, rays, barracuda, dolphins, sea turtles, and the extraordinary density and variety of fish that characterize the best Red Sea diving.
The park’s most famous dive sites — Shark Reef, Jolanda Reef, and the Anemone City — are considered among the top ten dive sites in the world. The convergence of two bodies of water with different temperature and salinity profiles creates the nutrient-rich upwelling that supports the extraordinary concentration of marine life, while the park’s protected status since 1983 has preserved reef systems in far better condition than unprotected areas along the Sinai and Hurghada coasts.
Beyond its underwater environment, the park protects a distinctive terrestrial landscape — mangrove forests at Marsa Bareika, brackish lakes with migratory birds, and the dramatic desert geology of the Sinai’s southern tip. The land section of the park can be explored by 4WD on designated tracks, visiting the mangroves, the lagoon, and the exposed point where the two gulfs meet in a visible line of different-colored water.
History & Significance
Ras Mohammed was established as Egypt’s first national park in 1983, driven by recognition that the extraordinary marine biodiversity of the southern Sinai’s reefs was at risk from uncontrolled fishing, anchoring damage, and the early stages of tourist development along the Sinai coast. The park was established at a politically sensitive time — Israel had only returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt in 1982 following the Camp David Accords — making Ras Mohammed one of the first major environmental policy achievements of the Egyptian administration of the returned territory.
The park’s marine protection has been effective by regional standards. Fishing is prohibited within park boundaries, anchoring is controlled through mooring buoys, and visitor access is regulated. The reef systems at Ras Mohammed consistently rate among the healthiest in the Red Sea, with coral cover, fish biomass, and large predator populations that have declined severely in heavily impacted areas.
The Jolanda Reef site is famous for the wreck of the MV Jolanda, a Cypriot cargo ship that ran aground at Ras Mohammed in 1980 and slowly slid off the reef into deep water during the 1980s. The remains of the ship’s cargo — thousands of toilet bowls and bathroom fixtures — still scatter the reef slope in a surreal display that has become one of the most iconic dive sites in the Red Sea.
What to See
Shark Reef Wall Diving
A vertical reef wall dropping hundreds of meters into the abyss, with grey reef sharks, hammerheads, barracuda, and massive trevally schools — consistently ranked among the world's top dive sites.
Jolanda Reef and Wreck Cargo
The scattered bathroom fixtures from the 1980 MV Jolanda wreck covering the reef slope alongside pristine coral formations — one of the most photographed dive sites in the Red Sea.
Mangrove Forest
The Marsa Bareika mangrove forest — among the northernmost mangroves in the world — accessible by kayak or on foot from the park's land section.
Twin Gulfs Convergence Point
The exposed tip of the Sinai peninsula where the Gulf of Suez and Gulf of Aqaba meet — the visible color difference between the two water bodies is observable from the point itself.
Anemone City
A shallow reef covered in an extraordinary density of anemones and their resident clownfish — one of the most photographically striking snorkel sites in the park, accessible without dive equipment.
Visitor Information
Daily 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (park entrance); dive boats operate from Sharm el-Sheikh from 7:00 AM
⛔ Closed: NeverNo dress restrictions
Photography is free
Partially accessible
💡 Visitor Tips
Location & Map
🚕 How to Get There
Located approximately 20 km south of Sharm el-Sheikh; accessible by taxi from Sharm (30 min) or by dive boat from Na'ama Bay marina. Private cars require a park entry permit purchased at the gate.
