Berenice

Situated 150km south of Marsa Alam.

Berenice is an ancient city, founded in 275 B.C by Ptolemy the II Philadephius, it was an important trading post until the 5th century AD.

It is now a small port and military center still rich in historical sites. The ruined temple of Seminaries built by Trajan and Tiberius can be found near the modern town. Inland there are remains of the emerald mines of Wadi Sakait. Offshore, visit the island of Zabargad there from Peridot Hill you can view the surrounding lagoons home to may dolphins.

On a more modern note Berenice is where one can find some of Egypt’s best spas.

Bir Shalateen

Situated 90km south of Berenice and at the Egyptian border to the Sudan, this tiny village is a quiet and remote Red Sea destination.

Some of the best dive sites in the Red Sea are located in this area, but make sure to arrange your diving permit well in advance from a diving center in a more frequented resort. Divers and the odd desert trekker are about the only adventurous souls who make it this far south. For now, their reward is a real taste of an unspoiled Red Sea area, from pristine reefs to the trading market attracting Bedouin tribes-people.