The Sinai Peninsula and the Red Sea City Guide - overview

Sinai is about contrasts. A desert interior full of history, where Moses received the Ten Commandments en route to the Promised Land, the Pharaohs found gold and searched for their gods, and where the Bedouins camp beside ruins of Crusader Forts. Christianity, Judaism and Islam know Sinai as a holy land and over the years prophets, saints, pilgrims and warriors have crossed this vast nothingness. Mount Sinai and St Catherine's Monastery at its foot are frequently visited.

The desert comes to an abrupt end at the Red Sea, where exquisite coral reefs provide a fine underwater playground for divers and snorkellers from around the world. The coral reefs along the Sinai coastline are among the best in the world and 'diving tourism' is the most recent catchphrase on the peninsula. The Red Sea has one of the highest amounts of marine life variety in all the tropical seas.

Visitors come to experience the simplicity of sun, sea and sand, surrounded by rugged mountains, history and modern Bedouin culture.

Getting around: