El Gouna is approximately 20km north of Hurghada and is a purpose built desert located resort made up of hotel, restaurant and bars and privately owned accommodation based around a central ‘downtown’ area.  Built initially built around a marina concept in the early 90s it has developed into a well designed resort with private villas & luxury yachts with own moorings, interconnected by canals in the same way Venice is. There is a choice of activities including a world class golf course and is close to Luxor to allow for a day’s trip to see the temples and the Valley of the Kings. A choice of kitesurfing areas are within 5-10 minutes using the resort’s shuttle bus or electric powered, 3 wheeled local taxis called ‘Tok Toks’ which costs very little and make getting around the area very easy.

Sailing Spot & Conditions

El Gouna, like the rest of the Red Sea is an all year round destination. This is an excellent destination for windsurfing but is predominently know for learning to kitesurf and experienced kitesurfers alike.The coast runs north west to south east which combined, with the predominantly northerly winds, provides perfect cross/cross onshore winds. Air temperatures rarely fall below 22°C and reach 35+°C in the summer. Thermal winds usually average force 4-6 (11 to 26+ knots) throughout the year with the best months being April to Nov.

The main kite spots offer large, flat water areas.

The two main kitesurfing spots are within 5-10 minutes resort bus ride from the marina:

The main kitesurfing spot is called Mangroovy Beach at the north end of El Gouna. This is a public beach offering access for residents and non-residents alike and is a huge area extending for over 500m to the offshore reef. There is a choice of kitesurf centres all with their ‘own’ kitezones for teaching.  The beach is wide with plenty of space for learning to launch and land kites. The whole area is ideal for beginners which is a protected, shallow flat water area. Mangroovy Beach is sociable atmosphere with all the kitecentres and small bars set up along the beach, where you can watch the action yet offers enough space for everyone.

Our recommended centre is Red Sea Zone Kitesurfing centre, which is the only IKO approved centre on Mangroovy Beach offering an excellent choice of  equipment manufacturers for rental, rescue and instruction packages. There 1km lagoon is perfect for all levels of kitesurfers. As soon as you reach the offshore reef the depth runs off quickly and there  is more wind chop. The launch is from a wide sandy beach with plenty of room to set up your kite and lines. The lagoon offers water never deeper than waist high in, depending on the tides. The shallow water training area extends for around 100m and there is a sandbar just upwind of the centre. There are no major hazards only some coral underfoot therefore we recommend boots/watershoes.

The second kitesurfing spot is located at the 5* Movenpick hotel with direct beach launch and onsite kiteboarding centre. The Kitesurfing zone is often less crowded as only residents of the Movenpick can launch from the private beach. Kitesurfing and swimming zones are separated with markers for safety. Families and non kiting partners can enjoy the comforts of a full facility hotel with spa, pools and kid’s club. The sandy beach offers a shallow, flat water area for 150m from the beach with deeper, choppier water after this.  Conditions are flat water with wind chop and some swell depending on conditions further out.  The wind is cross/cross-onshore from the left and mainly from the north. Because of the tides it is only possible to surf for a few hours either side of High Tide. It is too shallow to safely kite at low tide. There is a small IKO approved centre offering rescue, storage, instruction and rental for all levels from 12 years and above.  All lessons are semi-private with a mazimum of 2 students per instructor and courses can be on non-consecutive days depending on the tidal conditions locally. Boots/water shoes are recommended because of coral underfoot.

Culture & Activities

In El Gouna there it is possible to enjoy a variety of activities from wakeboarding, fishing  trips or even golf at the 18 hole championship golf course. Diving is excellent in this area and our diving team can pre-book learn to packages or boat diving with the excellent centre Dive Tribe. Other activities on offer include tennis, yoga, horseriding, quadbiking, sailing and volleyball.  

The whole resort is offers easy access either walking or using the ‘Tok Tok’ inexpensive taxi system where you can enjoy a wide choice of restaurants, bars and nightclub in and around the ‘down town’ and Abu Tig Marina area – home to luxury yachts and  numerous restaurants, gift shops & night clubs. Although not a full on as Hurghada, there is a lively buzz in the evenings.

Downtown - Shops, restaurants, supermarkets, egyptian fast-food, vegetable stands, spice shops.  After dinner, enjoy a nighttime stroll around the central square, discovering mysteries or enjoying live shows. This is where the majority of El Gouna citizens live and the hub of activity in the evenings. There is also a hospital, library, university, pharmacy, shops. & cinema complex. We recommend a visit to the Art Village and Kafr market.

 El Gouna Museum Replicas of the most magnificent Pharaonic pieces, and interactive computer displays, offer an entertaining way of discovering the history of ancient Egypt and enjoy The Observatory offering great night time views of the starts from the rooftop of the museum. Also visit The Aquarium, housed in the same building where you can view a wide variety of Red Sea life and corals including moray eels, star fish, seahorses, lobsters and crabs.

Golf El Gouna's 18 hole championship course has been designed by Gene Bates and Fred Couples to offer year round golf and conditions to suit the beginner to challenging links course for the professional golfer. Careful design and planning have produced a stunning location with views of the turquoise lagoon, desert backdrop and close to the resort centre.

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