on the Egyptian Red Sea Coast (actually on the Gulf of Suez) has often been referred to as a town, but is really not. Ain Soukhna can be translated as "hot spring" and the name originates from sulfur springs in Gebal Ataqa, a nearby Eastern Desert mountain. It is a region that stretches from just south of Suez down the coast for about sixty kilometers, and mostly consists of a port along with a series of resort complexes, with a few independent restaurants, gas stations and other facilities scattered along the coastal road. It seems only natural for this region to be so developed, considering that it represents the closest beaches to Cairo, one of the largest cities in the world.
Traditionally, Ain
Soukhna is a purely Egyptian retreat, only recently becoming
an international destination. In fact, most of the the resort
complexes consist mainly of vacation villas owned by Upper and
Upper Middle Class Egyptians. However, many though certainly not
all of the complexes also provide hotel accommodations. These range
from rather quaint facilities for Middle Class Egyptians and
probably some Europeans to International Five Star
Hotels,
Obviously, for sightseeing, Ain Soukhna is much more reasonable. Europeans with a beach vacation in mind would fly into Cairo, see some of the sights, and then take the short journey to Ain Soukhna for the remainder of their visit to Egypt. However, whether a beach vacation is primary or secondary to a more classical tour, Ain Soukhan can offer a convenient itinerary to several other nearby sites. The Suez Canal is just to the north, while a ninety minute drive takes one to the Eastern Desert Monasteries. Of course, many extended classic tours travel to Sharm el-Sheikhspecifically as a base for visiting St. Catherine's Monastery and Mount Sinai, which is an extraordinary location. However, St. Anthony's in the Eastern Desert is significant as the world's oldest functioning monastery founded in honor of the Saint given credit for founding monasticism. Much of this monastery has recently been restored, and nearby is also the ancient monastery of St. Paul. Furthermore, St. Catherine's is much further away from Sharm el-Shiekh then St. Anthony's is from Ain Soukhna. A well arranged tour around Ain Soukhna could allow a visit to the Suez Canal and the Eastern Desert Monasteries in the same amount of time required to visit only St. Catherine's from Sharm el-Sheikh, with time left over at the beach, all at a much lower cost more comparable to a Hurghada holiday. In fact, at least for now, in comparison to Sharm el-Sheikh, most of the costs at Ain Soukhna are more reasonable given equal facilities (such as four or five star hotels).
What to visit In and from Ain El Sokhna
- Overday Cairo
- Overday Suez Canal Cities ( Ismailia – Port Said )
- Overday Alexandria
- Overday St.Cathrine Monastery
- Fishing Trip
- Snorkeling Trip
- St.Paul & St.Anthony Monasteries
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