Level: Resort nearby
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Last updated on September 6, 2023
With its sheltered lagoons that are visited by sea turtles, and its vibrant reef drop off plunging into the blue waters, Fayrouz Reef offers diverse underwater experiences. In its translucent waters, many reef fish, such as butterflyfish, anemonefish and puffers can be found. Look carefully, too, in the sand as this is where the rays like to lurk.
This spot is the house reef of the Three Corners Fayrouz Plaza Beach Resort, a large resort located just south of Port Ghalib Marina, and less than 6 miles from Marsa Alam Airport. To access the reef from the shore, you will need to stay at the hotel.
If you are staying at the Three Corners Fayrouz Plaza Beach Resort, also go snorkel at Marsa Mubarak, known for its turtles and dugongs. This spot can be reached on foot by a shore walk. Swimming along the house reef from Fayrouz to Marsa Mubarak is no longer allowed.
The reef flat which extends in front of the Three Corners Fayrouz is too shallow to enter the water from the beach. A pontoon provides access to the main beach snorkeling areas via two different platforms.
If you want to explore the lagoon (area 1 on the map above) or the reef drop-off (area 2 on the map), water entrance is from the pontoon. There are two platforms, one for each zone. Stairs allow you to safely enter the water.
Just 100 yards north of the resort is Relax Beach, which gives access to a third snorkeling area (area 3 on the map). To snorkel in this area, enter the water from the beach and swim through the channel to reach the lagoon.
On this spot, three distinct areas can be explored:
This natural lagoon “dug” into the reef flat is about 55 yards wide at its widest point. Well-sheltered from waves and currents, it offers ideal snorkeling conditions. In the lagoon, the depth varies from 2 to 20 feet depending on the area.
The edge of the lagoon has many corals. The corals are in fair condition with arbor pink, bluish or yellow colors. This environment is favored by small reef fish, such as butterflyfish, pufferfish, and several species of wrasse. Moray eels sometimes hide in the cracks, while rays are often seen in the central sandy beds.
Open to the sea, the Fayrouz reef drop-off is quite exposed and access to it can be closed in strong winds. Forming an almost vertical wall plunging towards the depths (↕30-35 feet), it has a more impressive topography. Due to the slight north-south dominant current, avoid going too far from the pontoon to the right.
Snorkeling the drop-off, you will discover a vibrant reef, overflowing with multicolored corals. Around it swim hundreds of sea goldies, damsels and fusiliers. Among the many fish that call this area home are the Sohal surgeonfish, the elegant unicornfish, the Red Sea bannerfish, and large lionfish. Sea turtles also make occasional visits to the drop-off. If you are really interested in seeing the turtles, head to Relax Beach lagoon (see below).
This area has more or less the same profile as area 1, a shallow lagoon dug in the flat, but it also has something very special: its seagrass beds are visited by green sea turtles which are pretty easy to see in the shallows.
This spot is the house reef of Three Corners Fayrouz Plaza Beach Resort. The Sea Beach Bar, which is part of the hotel complex, allows you to eat just a stone’s throw from the reef.
These spots are accessible to anyone with basic snorkeling skills, and feeling comfortable in the water and with his snorkeling gear. You will enter the water from the shore (beach, pontoon, ladder, rocks) or from a boat. The water height in the sea entrance area is reasonable, but you will not necessarily be within your depth. Moderate currents can occur in the area, even when the sea conditions are good. The distance to swim to reach the most interesting snorkeling areas of the spot does not exceed 200 meters. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
