El Gouna Luxury Resorts on the Red Sea

Built from the desert by Orascom from 1990 onward, El Gouna is a planned town of turquoise lagoons, sandy islands and pastel architecture, with its own hospital, international schools, university campus and film festival. It feels more like a Mediterranean village than a resort strip, and you move around by tuk-tuk, bicycle or boat.

It is the most cosmopolitan base on Egypt's Red Sea coast, with year-round sun, steady winds for kitesurfing and coral reefs a short boat ride away. Pair it with Cairo and the Pyramids or with Luxor, about four hours by road. See also our guide to luxury vacations in Egypt.

The steady northerly wind makes El Gouna one of the world's great kitesurfing spots, with shallow lagoons ideal for learners and open water for experts. Diving and snorkeling trips leave daily for the reefs and islands offshore, including Giftun and the wrecks to the north.

Golf, padel, a busy marina, yacht days to sandbanks and evening strolls through Abu Tig and Downtown fill the rest of the time. The annual El Gouna Film Festival brings stars and cinema lovers each fall. More on reefs and the outdoors in diving and the outdoors and golf in the region.

Fly nonstop from New York, Newark, Washington, Chicago or Los Angeles to Cairo with EgyptAir, then take a one-hour flight to Hurghada, about 25 minutes from El Gouna. Hurghada also has many direct flights from Europe. El Gouna has its own small airfield, and private jets use Hurghada International. Yachts can berth at Abu Tig Marina; see marinas and yacht itineraries on the Red Sea.

With its hospital, schools and marina life, El Gouna is one of the few Red Sea towns where people live year-round, and villas and lagoon apartments are popular with Egyptian and European buyers. See our guide to Egypt Luxury Real Estate investment and register your interest.