Photo: Azizofegypt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, color-graded
Red Sea Coast · Destination guide
The mainland shore on the Hurghada–Safaga road – beach resorts facing Soma Bay across the water, with Safaga close by and the Nile Valley three hours inland.
Get your bearings
Abu Soma is the stretch of mainland coast on the Hurghada–Safaga road, past the turn for Soma Bay and a few minutes short of Safaga. The resorts are separate complexes strung along a sandy shore, not one gated town. Many of them have kilometers of private beach, their own watersports and dive centers, and in some cases a marina. There's no town center, just hotels and the open desert behind them.
Think of it as the other side of the bay. The Soma Bay peninsula curls out opposite, and Abu Soma looks back at it across shallow water, so the wind and the lagoon are shared. The difference is access and feel. Soma Bay is a gated peninsula with a golf course, a marina and a big spa. Abu Soma is a run of independent beach resorts you reach straight off the main road. Several of them use "Soma Bay" in their names, which is why the two places get mixed up.
What you're really here to see
Photo: Андрей Бобровский, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, color-graded01This is the main event. Resorts such as Palm Royale, Amarina Abu Soma and Imperial Shams sit on long sandy shores, with shallow, sheltered water, pools and aqua parks for families, and board plans that mean little else to organize.
All day
Photo: Андрей Бобровский, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, color-graded02The same north-west wind that suits Soma Bay blows here. Windsurf and kite centers operate on the Abu Soma shore, and the wind runs strongest from roughly May to October, with usable days through winter. The shallow water near the beach keeps it friendly for learners.
Strongest May–October
Photo: MatthiasKabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, color-graded03Safaga is a working port town about 53 kilometers south of Hurghada, and it's the jumping-off point for Luxor, roughly three hours inland. It also has its own windsurf centers at the north end of Safaga Bay, and boats run out to Tobia Island.
Half or full day
Time to allow
Abu Soma is a beach-week place. Five to seven nights is the usual stay.
Beach days, a snorkel or two and a swim in the resort pool. A short reset after a busy itinerary.
Time for a wind-sports lesson, a boat trip to Tobia Island and a day in Safaga or Hurghada.
About three hours by road from the temples, then a quiet week on the coast.
Spend some nights here and some on Soma Bay's peninsula for golf, the marina and the spa.
Where it fits
Abu Soma suits travelers who want a beach resort with room to spread out and no town to deal with.
Independent beach resorts on one coastline, mostly all-inclusive, with pools, aqua parks and dive or watersports centers.
The same wind as Soma Bay, with windsurf and kite centers on the Abu Soma shore and shallow water by the beach.
The peninsula's marina, golf and spa are minutes across the bay if you want them.
Safaga is the closest port town for Nile Valley trips, about three hours by road each way.
Every way in
Day trips, classic multi-day tours, Nile cruises, hotels and private transfers – every part of an Egypt trip can be arranged from Abu Soma. Start wherever makes sense.
Hotel pickup, a private Egyptologist, half or full day.
2–15 day private itineraries, hotels and guides included.
Pair Abu Soma with a 3–4 night river cruise in one trip.
Aswan ↔ Luxor sailings, dahabiyas and classic cruisers.
5★ and boutique stays, hand-picked by our team.
Private meet-and-greet from the airport to your hotel.
Best time to visit
The beach is open all year. October to April is the comfortable stretch for sun.
Warm days for the beach, easy for a Luxor trip, and the sea is warm enough to enjoy in most of those months.
Peak season for kitesurfing and windsurfing, with strong afternoon breezes, though land temperatures are high.
The sea is around 20°C at its coolest, and nights are chilly. Wind sports riders wear a light wetsuit.
Upper Egypt gets very hot in summer, so a temples-then-beach trip works best in the cooler months.
The practical part
Straight off the main road, with one airport doing the work. The practical part.
Fly into Hurghada (HRG). Resorts here are roughly 45 to 55 kilometers south, depending on the hotel, and a private transfer is the easy option.
These resorts sit outside the Soma Bay gate, along the Hurghada–Safaga road, so there's no peninsula entry process to arrange.
Most guests stay inside the resort. A taxi covers trips to Safaga or across to Soma Bay, and excursions include pickup.
Luxor is about three hours inland, and Hurghada's marina and tours are an hour or so north. We line them up before you arrive.
Common questions
Abu Soma is a stretch of Red Sea coast on the Hurghada–Safaga road, between Hurghada and Safaga. It faces the Soma Bay peninsula across the bay and lies roughly 45 to 55 kilometers south of Hurghada airport.
No. Soma Bay is the gated peninsula with a golf course, marina and spa. Abu Soma is the mainland coast across the bay, with independent resorts you reach straight from the main road. Some Abu Soma hotels use "Soma Bay" in their names.
No. Hotels on the Abu Soma side sit outside the gated peninsula. That means a quieter, more independent stay, but you don't automatically get the peninsula's golf course, marina or spa.
Yes. Windsurf and kite centers operate on the Abu Soma shore, and the north-west wind is the same as on Soma Bay. May to October is the windiest season, and the water near the beach is shallow.
Safaga is roughly 10 to 20 minutes away by car, depending on the resort. The town is about 53 kilometers south of Hurghada and is the closest town for shops, the port and trips to Luxor.
It depends on the trip. Choose Soma Bay for golf, the spa, the marina and a gated community. Choose Abu Soma for an independent beach resort with a quieter feel and easy access to Safaga.
Photo: Андрей Бобровский, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, color-graded
Plan your trip
Tell us your dates, who's coming and how you like to spend a beach day – we'll send a private plan with the right hotel, transfers and day trips within 24 hours. Cairo · Luxor · Aswan · Hurghada · Marsa Alam · Sharm El Sheikh, on the ground since 1988.
