Ubayyad Beach , 14km from town, is a vast expanse of silvery sand where the sea is calm and shallow up to 200m out. As you'd expect, it has not gone uncolonized: besides the Badr Tourist Village (open to the public) there is a private resort for army officers. Five kilometres further on, near the village of Umm Abraham, the sands have disgorged a tiny ruined temple-fort dedicated to Ramses II by his general Nebre, which marked ancient Egypt's westernmost port. Zawiyat Umm al-Rukham (its local name) isn't signposted from the coastal road, and can really only be reached by private taxi or a long walk from Ubayyad.

 

From the next headland, 24km from town, a path slopes down to Agiiba Beach . Agiiba ("Miraculous") is an apt name for this stunningly beautiful cove, but "beach" is rather a misnomer. To swim in the calm, crystal-clear turquoise water, you can dive off rocky shelves protruding into the sea or wade in off a tiny beach gunked up with algae. From July onwards it's necessary to walk around the headlands and along the shore to find uncrowded sites. Bring food and drink as there's no guarantee of stalls operating on the cliff top, which overhangs some caves.