The adjacent bazaar quarter is a microcosm of Egyptian consumer aspirations, ranging from humble stalls on Sharia el-Togary to the smart boutiques on Sharia en-Nahda. These have been joined by designer shops such as Hugo Boss and sports stores like Nike and Reebok at the junction of Sharia el-Gumhorriya with Sharia 23rd July. There is even a Clark's shoe shop downtown and a Marks & Spencer in the shopping centre opposite the Sonesta.

The Military Museum (Sat-Thurs 9am-2pm, also Fri in summer 6-10pm; £E2) gives a strong sense of the canal's embattled history. The 1956 Anglo-French-Israeli invasion is commemorated by lurid paintings and dioramas, while another room is dedicated to the October War of 1973. This gives pride of place to the storming of the Bar-Lev Line, a heroic feat of arms ultimately wasted by the high command's failure to exploit Egypt's breakthrough in Sinai. Curiously absent from the large display of weaponry are the Soviet-made Strella and Molutka rockets that enabled Egyptian infantrymen to destroy Israeli jets and armour, rated by strategists as a minor revolution in modern warfare. It's about 15-20 minutes' walk from here to the National Museum.

Opened in 1987, the Port Said National Museum (Sat-Thurs 9am-5pm, Fri 9am-noon & 2-5pm; £E12, students £E6, camera £E10) runs the gamut of Egyptian history. Highlights of the well-displayed collection include two mummies, an exquisitely worked faïence shroud and painted coffin, Ptolemaic funerary masks, Islamic tiles and mashrabiyas, Coptic textiles (especially a tunic adorned with images of the Apostles) and the coach of Khedive Ismail, used during the canal's inauguration ceremonies. Cool and uncrowded, the museum makes a pleasant retreat from the heat and hubbub around this part of the waterfront.

Come evening, townsfolk and holidaymakers promenade along the Corniche, or near the National Museum, watching dozens of vessels at anchor, their bulky hulls dwindling to lights bobbing far offshore. At the far end of the quay is a massive sandstone plinth that used to bear a huge statue of De Lesseps , before it was torn down following the 1952 Revolution. For an idea of the canal's workings, take a cruise on the Noras floating restaurant or catch the free ferry (every 15min) across to Port Fouad.

You can rent chairs and parasols for £E5 on Port Said's shell-strewn beach , which has public showers at 100m intervals. For calmer water and more relaxed sunbathing, consider paying £E15 to use the pool at the Sonesta hotel. The pool at the Helnan costs a hefty £E40 but this includes use of the gym and sauna.