Snorkeling in Coral Beach

How to go snorkeling in Coral Beach?

Coral Beach is located in Eilat, on Israel’s Red Sea coast. The beach is about 6.5km (10 minutes by car) south of Eilat marina, and less than 3km (5 minutes) before Egypt and the Taba border crossing. There is free parking along the road, near the Park entrance. The site can also be easily reached by bus or taxi from the city center.

Entrance to the Coral Beach Nature Reserve is charged 35 shekels/adult and 21 shekels/child (2022). The park is open in summer from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Saturday to Thursday, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays (closing 1 hour before in winter). Specific opening hours apply on public holidays and the day before public holidays. Check the park’s website for the last updates about opening hours, which are subject to frequent changes.

Water entrance for snorkeling Coral Beach

To snorkel the reef drop-off (zone 1 on the map), get into the water from the northernmost pontoon (pontoon 1 on the map, on your left when you are facing the sea). Set above the reef, it allows entering the water directly on the drop-off without damaging the shallow reef flat.

The pontoon has wide stairs on which you can sit to wear your equipment and smoothly get into the water. Alternatively, you can enter the water from pontoon 2, but then you will be swimming against the current to snorkel the north of the reef.

To snorkel the two small reef flat areas (areas 3 and 4 on the map), get into the water from the beach.

Coral Beach’s reef snorkeling exploration tips

Snorkeling in Coral Beach is only allowed in limited areas, both on the flat and on the reef drop-off.

Snorkeling on Coral Beach’s reef drop off

The best snorkeling is along the drop-off, despite the line of buoys preventing snorkelers from having a close look a the reef.

As the prevailing current runs north-south (from left to right when looking at the sea), two itineraries are recommended:

• A short route (130m), between pontoon 1 and pontoon 2 (route 1 on the map);
• A longer route (250m), between pontoon 2 and a natural channel dug in the reef flat to the south of the beach (route 2 on the map).

Before getting into the water, check that the water entry/exit points are open.

Coral Beach’s reef drop-off, which falls from the surface to deeper sandy beds (↕12-15ft/4-5m) is unevenly preserved. It features a diversity of hard corals, including massive coral, brain coral, fire coral and finger coral.

Soft corals are rare, even if some leather corals are found in places. You will also notice unhealthy areas, where the coral has bleached or disappeared.

The reef hosts a great diversity of fish, most of which Red Sea endemic. Butterflyfish, tang and parrotfish are very common there, as well as the Red Sea bannerfish, often seen in the shade of the drop-off.

Bluespotted groupers, damselfish and boxfish are also easily seen throughout the area. A few large yellow-spotted triggerfish, some of which some 50cm-long, come and go along the drop-off.

Along the reef, you will snorkel over some beautiful coral heads (↕10-12ft/3-4m), on which you can freedive. On the sandy bottoms that surround them, you may be lucky enough to encounter a guitarfish or a bluespotted ribbontail ray.

The pontoons are also fun areas to explore: hundreds of fish, including sergeant majors, Klunzinger’s wrasse and small parrotfish shelter around the piers and in the shade of the steps.

Snorkeling on Coral Beach’s reef flat

Snorkeling on the reef flat is not allowed, except on two small areas with no corals and delimited by buoys (areas 3 and 4 on the map). In these shallow areas (↕1-3fr/0.5-1m), with gravel beds, you can see some inquisitive species, such as the yellowtail surgeonfish.

Restaurants and accommodation nearby

Coral Beach has deckchairs, showers, toilets and a small store. There are several hotels less than 500m from the Park entrance, including the Royal Shangri-la Eilat, the Orchid Eilat, and the U Coral Beach Club.