Makadi Bay lies about 30 kilometres south of Hurghada and some 35 kilometres from Hurghada
International Airport — close enough for a short transfer, far enough to be out of the city. It is
a purpose-built resort bay: a long curve of sand lined with large hotels, with no town behind it.
What that means in practice
Almost everything you do will happen inside the hotel or on an organised trip. There is no high
street, few independent restaurants and little to walk to in the evening, which is why nearly
every property here is all-inclusive. People who want a town within reach usually choose Hurghada
itself or El Gouna; people who want a quiet beach with the city half an hour away choose Makadi.
The beach and the reef
The bay is known for a wide sandy beach and shallow, calm water close in — the reason it is
popular with families and with anyone who wants to walk into the sea rather than climb down a
jetty. The trade-off is the same one as everywhere on this coast: the better the sand, the further
the coral. House reefs vary considerably between hotels at either end of the bay, so it is worth
asking specifically rather than assuming.
Families
Makadi is one of the more family-oriented bays on the Red Sea. Several hotels are built around
large pool complexes, and the bay has its own water park. Shallow entry and little wind inside the
bay make it easier going for young children than the more exposed northern beaches.
Getting out for the day
The short transfer to Hurghada is what makes Makadi work as a base. Boats to
Giftun Island leave from the marina there, and the
Hurghada Grand Aquarium is an easy
afternoon. Desert trips run into the hills behind the coast, and there are
day trips to Luxor and
to Cairo for people who want the monuments
without moving hotel. The full list is on our
day tours page.
When to go
October to May is the comfortable window. Mid-summer is hot, though the sea stays good and the
bay is sheltered. Winter can be windy on this stretch of coast — less so inside Makadi than on the
open beaches north of Hurghada, but worth knowing if you burn easily or chill quickly.
What to ask before you book
Three questions settle most of it: is the hotel at the sheltered end of the bay or the open end,
does it have a house reef or only sand, and how far is the walk from room to beach — some of these
properties are very large. We know the bay and can answer all three for any hotel in it.
Ask us, or see the hotels we work with.
