Level: Resort nearby
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Last updated on February 3, 2024
Makadi Bay is an important resort town located some 25 miles/40 kilometers south of Hurghada. Known for its crystal-clear and sheltered waters, it has 15 seafront hotels, all of them giving access to shallow reefs. The southern part of Makadi Bay features the most extensive reefs, offering a huge snorkeling area including drop-offs, patch reefs, and lagoons. It is a fantastic site to spot butterflyfish, puffers, triggerfish, fusiliers, and lionfish.
Makadi Bay is located about 25 miles/40 kilometers south of the city of Hurghada and 18 miles/30 kilometers south of the airport. This spot covers the large coral reef that fringes the southern shore of Makadi Bay.
The easiest way to access this spot is to stay at one of the resorts located along the northern shore of the bay: the Cleopatra Luxury Resort, the Stella Makadi, and the Labranda Makadi. The Stella Makadi has the best snorkel entry, from a jetty leading to the reef drop-off.
The best snorkel entry is from Stella Makadi Bay‘s jetty. This 350-meter-long walkway gives access to both the lagoons (snorkel entry 2, right side of the jetty) and the outer reef (snorkel entry 1). You can also enter the water from the beach at the Labranda Makadi (snorkel entry 3), but you’ll have to swim more than 200 meters offshore to reach the first coral reefs.
The southern part of Makadi Bay features extensive reef areas, which include a 500-meter-long reef drop-off as well as several lagoons dug in the reef flat.
The reef drop-off, which is accessed via the jetty at Stella Makadi, has the best coral (snorkeling area 1 on the map). In this area, depth ranges from 2 feet/0.5 meters on the reef top to over 20 feet/6 meters on the slopes.
Although in variable conditions, you will find patches of finger coral, fire coral, brain coral, as well as branching coral. Sea anemones, hosting communities of Red Sea anemonefish, are very common at reefs, as are the giant clams, some of them very colorful.
The drop-off is home to many fish species, coming in all shapes, sizes and colors. Common species at Southern Makadi Bay include parrotfish, tang, wrasse, butterflyfish and bannerfish, but also more uncommon species such as the giant moray, the greasy grouper, the peacock flounder, and the lionfish.
Although very poor in corals, the small lagoons (snorkeling area 2 on the map) also allow for decent snorkeling. Small fish, such as puffers, boxfish, and damselfish abound in these shallow, sheltered waters. This area is a good option for kids, but also if the drop-off is too windy.
This spot is the house reef of three resorts: the Cleopatra Luxury Resort, the Stella Makadi, and the Labranda Makadi.
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. 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.
