El Quseir is situated on Egypt’s eastern coast forming a part of the Red Sea Riviera, with its blend of desert adventure and crystal clear diving it provides an idyllic oasis like destination. This one time major port was the crossing point for many pilgrims on their way to Mecca and also where spices, pearls and silk were transported from India and has been attracting people for over 5,000 years.
El Quseir is at the southern stretch of the Red Sea Riviera, which includes a number of towns and resorts along the Gulf of Suez and the Senai Peninsula. Its attraction lies in the pleasant weather all year, creating warm seas that are perfect for exotic, colourful sealife and scuba diving, along with the myriad of archaeological treasures that its long history provides.
Attractions around El Quseir
Diving is one of the main attractions of the area and the waters around El Quseir are wonderful for underwater exploration. Their clear, fresh warm seas are full of marine life such as sea turtles, rays, and an array of rainbow coloured tropical fish all swimming amongst radiantly beautiful sea coral reefs. Dive schools are common along the coastline and some hotels even have their own scuba centre in-house.
It was here that for many centuries the local green Bekheny granite stone was quarried and used in the manufacture of sarcophagi, statues and bowls. The rock faces of the quarry contain many hieroglyphic inscriptions and graffiti, some of which can be traced back to 4,000 BC, showing just how old this remote area is.
This is the site of a former Coptic Christian gold mine from the 5th century. It was home to roughly 1,000 people and excavations believe there to be the remnants of some 216 buildings. Visitors will find an interesting day out in the middle of the desert at one of the few gold mining communities in the Byzantine Empire.
El Quseir Fortress
The fort of Sultan Salim has now been restored and has a visitors interpretation centre telling the story of its construction and history to protect the port from potential invaders during the Ottoman Empire.
The luxurious surroundings of the Radisson Blu Resort at El Quseir are the perfect spot from where to discover the joys of the southern reaches of the Gulf of Suez and the Red Sea. The hotel has its own private beach on which you can relax; there are 250 gorgeous rooms and suits, all with a terrace or balcony looking out across the sea or the hotels well-kept gardens.
The resort’s facilities include its own diving school where guests can learn the arts of scuba or snorkelling and more experienced travellers can dive right it and explore. There is a lagoon like outdoor pool, spa and a dozen different places to feast.
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