Soma Bay is a resort on the Red Sea Coast in Egypt developed by the Soma Bay Development Company established in 1991.
Understand
45 km south of Hurghada International Airport, the 10 million square meters, self-contained community of Soma Bay is surrounded on all sides by the sea. It offers year-round sunshine and mild temperatures. Unique to Soma Bay are its white sandy beaches and panoramic views of desert mountains. A selection of luxury hotels, a championship golf course, a grand thalassotherapy spa, and a diving and kitesurfing center all make Soma Bay an ideal place for relaxation and recreation.
Get in
By Plane
Soma Bay is a 4-hr flight from Central Europe. It is easily accessible by charter and scheduled flights from many European destinations direct to Hurghada International Airport. EgyptAir also offers several flights per day between Cairo and Hurghada. The airport is 45 min away from Soma Bay. The hotels in Soma Bay can provide airport transfers from/to Hurghada to Soma Bay at a rate of €15 per person each way. Soma Bay is featured by a variety of international tour operators and travel agents. You can also book directly with Soma Bay and purchase flights separately.
By car
Soma Bay is also accessible by private car. Driving from Cairo, the capital, takes you along 500 km of well-paved highway along the coast. There are places along the way for pit-stops. The views are impressive where desert meets the Red Sea.
Get around
Walking is a pleasure in Soma Bay, but there is also a convenient free shuttle bus that departs frequently between all the hotels, golf course, spa, diving and kitesurfing center.
See
Do
- Diving & snorkeling Soma Bay is popular for scuba diving and snorkeling due to its clear, calm waters and vibrant coral reefs. A fully equipped dive center managed by the Orca Dive Club offers a full range of courses for beginners and seasoned pros. It also features a 420-m jetty that extends directly out to the house reef. A large turquoise-blue lagoon lies at the front of the reef and provides sheltered waters ideal for training. The dive center also offers equipment rental, changing facilities and showers, classrooms with AV equipment, bar, shop and personal lockers. A fleet of dive boats access the many dive sites in the region from the Soma Bay marina. The dive sites in this area have the advantage of being considerably less crowded that those found elsewhere in the Red Sea and include coral gardens, walls, drop-offs and wrecks suitable for all levels of experience.
- Kitesurfing & sailing Soma Bay is arguably one of the best spots in the world for sailing, windsurfing and kitesurfing. The bay offers flat water conditions, coupled with side shore winds that range from 4-8Bft all year round. The wind is accelerated by the close proximity of the mountains to the sea. Catamaran and Laser boat sailing are popular with the ability to take lessons for first-timers. Soma Bay's__7BFT kite surf center__ is a complete teaching and testing hub with state of the art equipment for teaching and hire. They offer video and headset training aids that make learning to kite surf and improving technique easier, and safer. 7BFT offers teaching and testing weeks with the latest Naish and Carved equipment throughout the year. A kite surf bar, accessory shop and gear hire station is also available on site at the center.
- Golfing An 18-hole, par 72 championship course designed by Gary Player called The Cascades has ranked the number 1 golf course in the world outside of Europe for several years in a row by the readers of the German magazine Golf Journal. Adjacent to the championship course, is the 9-hole, par 3 challenge course, also designed by Gary Player, that offers both the beginner and the more advanced golfer the opportunity to practice a variety of shots with emphasis on the short game. The challenge course serves a golf academy where individual and group tuition by PGA golf pros is available. There are also practice facilities, including a 60-bay driving range, and several putting and pitching practice greens.
- [Thalassotherapy A member of The Leading Spas of the World, http://www.somabayspa.com Les Thermes Marins des Cascades (dead link: October 2017) (dead link: October 2017) is a large facility operated in association with Les Thermes Marins de Saint Malo, one of France's leading pioneers in the field of thalassotherapy. Highlights of the facilities and treatments include a large seawater facility, the Aquatonic Pool, which covers an area of 750 m², a variety of hydrotherapy treatments, including seaweed wraps and underwater massages, plus beauty & wellness treatments that include personalized fitness, weight and nutrition programs as well as post natal recuperation programs.
Eat
Restaurants in all the five hotels featuring international and local cuisine. Most guests tend to dine at the hotel they stay in, but guests can also "dine around" at the other hotels at discounted prices. Vacationers usually stay on half-board plans, enjoying a hearty buffet breakfast and dinner, while snacking at the various pool and beach bars for lunch.
Sleep
- Sheraton Soma Bay. Notable for its pharaonic architecture and its impressive central swimming pool as well as its expansive sandy beach.
- La Résidence des Cascades Positioned on the highest point of the peninsula, and a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, this resort sits amid The Cascades golf course with panoramic views of the fairways and sea. It also houses the grand thalassotherapy spa Les Thermes Marins des Cascades (dead link: October 2017), for a golf and/or spa holiday.
- Kempinski Hotel Soma Bay. The first of this European hotel chain in Egypt, the Kempinski is designed as a Moorish fortress with oriental accents. It features an impressive system of pools, waterfalls and lagoons and extends over 7,000 m².
- Robinson Club. The Robinson is popular with families and water sports enthusiasts. It features an expansive sandy beach, lush landscaping and a wide range of activities and animation programs including children's programs.
- The Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge. Designed to appeal to divers, kiters and windsurfers looking for reasonably priced accommodation. This hotel has 173 rooms right next to the Soma Bay Dive Center, most of them have extraordinary views of the house reef.
Go next
Luxor in the Nile Valley is 3 hr away by car from Soma Bay. Visit Egypt's fabulous ancient sites - the Valley of the Kings and Queens, the Karnak and Luxor Temples. Most of the Soma Bay hotels can arrange day or over-night trips. Other nearby day trips include the Monasteries of St. Paul and St. Anthony, The Roman ruins of Mons Porphyrites and Mons Claudianus, The Fortress of El-Quseir and the Wadi Hammamat.