Free rest on the beach and a leisurely walk along the promenade along the sea, accessible to tourists at any time – this is definitely not about Egypt, a professional domestic traveler complained. The realization that in the popular resort city of Hurghada, all the beaches are paid, she was very surprised. The girl told about her disappointment on the pages of her personal blog in Yandex.Zen.
The author was pleased that she ended up in the famous Egyptian resort in winter, because, as she later found out, tourists can access the sea only for money, and in winter it is uncomfortable to swim in the Red Sea and get out of the water under the cold wind: “In short I'm glad it's winter in Egypt now and I don't need daily bathing. But I still want to walk along the coast for a couple of kilometers … This is not enough for me in Hurghada.
Dozens of kilometers of Hurghada's coastline are closed for free visits by both tourists and locals. There are two types of beaches in the city: either hotel, i.e. which the hotel is in charge of and they have access to tourists who have paid for accommodation in it, or simply paid ones, which are limited on all sides by fences, and at the checkpoint a special person collects money for entry. There are no other options to go to the sea in Hurghada.
To the question: “Why are paid beaches in Egypt?” the girl said that she had studied the issue and of all the versions, “environmentally friendly” turned out to be more viable for her. “There is an opinion that the fragile underwater world of the Red Sea is protected from garbage. The money collected from vacationers is used to maintain the cleanliness of the beaches (garbage removal, cleaning, staff salaries). This seems logical. Just look at the streets of Hurghada – many of them are really very dirty. It is easy to imagine that the beaches could be overgrown with garbage,” she said.
According to the traveler who settled in the most touristic area of Hurghada – El Kawther, she got the opportunity to see the best part of the promenade – El Mamsha, where only two beaches – popular and expensive.
She did not manage to get to the latter, since only tourists who have paid a monthly subscription, the cost of which is equal to the equivalent of 3 thousand rubles, get access to this coastline and a section of the sea. However, according to experienced beachgoers, this beach is more comfortable and beautiful.
For lack of choice, the blogger went to the popular beach. “The price of a one-time visit is 50 Egyptian pounds (about 120 rubles), and a monthly subscription here costs about 1.5 thousand rubles. This beach is located next to the Marlin Inn 4 * hotel (slightly to the left, if you look towards the sea),” she said. For this money, the author got the opportunity to relax and swim on a wide beach about 150 m long, clean water near the coast, a comfortable entrance to the sea, a fishing pier and a yacht mooring place. In addition, the tourist received a sunbed, an umbrella, a toilet and a shower. “It is noticeable that the beach club appeared on the site of an abandoned hotel (dilapidated buildings, recreation areas, swimming pools, reception, the remains of playgrounds – all this now looks pathetic and even a little scary). But the beach itself is good, ”the girl appreciated and added that for those who wish, there is a beach goods store and two bars. The latter is especially relevant for vacationers, since you cannot bring your own food and drinks to the beach. “The prices are low, but I didn’t find the bars very clean, so I wouldn’t take anything other than bottled drinks here,” she said.
Such paid beaches are good for lovers of sunbathing and sunbathing on a sun lounger all day. However, for those who like not only to lie down, but also to walk along the shore, they are not suitable. “If you are used to the “free” sea, then giving $ 4 (304 rubles at the current exchange rate) for two for 10 minutes by the water is psychologically difficult. It seems that you should at least lie down here, since you already paid, ”the Russian woman concluded.
For those who don’t want to pay on principle, the tourist advised to go to the “closed” resort Sahl Hasheesh (translated as “Green Valley” ), which is located 18 km south of Hurghada Airport, conceived as a VIP-class vacation spot. Those who live there have direct access to the beach and do not have to overcome fences. “Here, too, you can go to a paid beach club to use the infrastructure. But for a simple walk along the coast and swimming in the sea, they don’t take money. Just like in Turkey, Thailand and Russia. But in Hurghada itself, there is no such “luxury,” the compatriot added.
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