Family-Friendly Beaches in Hurghada: Sand, Jetty or Reef – What Really Matters with Kids
Updated October 1, 2026 · 8 min read
The beach where a child spends the week is the beach of their hotel: most of Hurghada’s coastline belongs to hotels, and the decision is made when you book the hotel, not on the ground. One single question matters more than sand or sunloungers: how do you get into the water – across flat sand, over a jetty through the reef, or over the rocky reef edge with coral rubble. Shallow water where a child can simply paddle is not found on the coast but on the islands, above all in the Orange Bay lagoon. The shortest way there is the High-Speed Sea Taxi Tour to Orange Bay or Magawish: four hours from €24.50 per person, rated 4.6 from 1,442 reviews. If you want a full day with lunch on board, there is the Luxury Cruise Trip to Orange Bay with Lunch, eight hours thirty minutes from €45.65.
The Three Ways to Get into the Sea
The flat sand entry. You walk in, the water gradually gets deeper, and there is sand underfoot. Some resorts have their own artificial lagoon for this. For children who cannot yet swim confidently, this is the only option at the sea that really works.
The jetty over the reef. In front of many hotels, the fringing reef begins right at the shoreline. So that no one walks on the coral, a jetty – often called a pontoon – runs out over the shallow reef flat to the point where it becomes deep. From there, a ladder leads down into the water. For snorkellers this is fantastic – the reef is right on the doorstep. For a toddler it is unusable, and even a primary-school-age child needs to be a confident swimmer there.
The reef edge with coral rubble. No sand, no jetty, just a rocky entry over dead coral. Everyone needs reef shoes here, and with small children this is not a swimming beach but a view.
The Red Sea has around 2,000 kilometres of coral reef along its coasts, much of it fringing reef right off the shore. Red Sea Whether there is one in front of your hotel depends on the stretch of coast. How the coast from El Gouna to Marsa Alam is laid out is covered in Red Sea in Egypt.
How to Find Out What to Expect Before You Book
Hotel descriptions often say “sandy beach”, even when the sand only reaches the waterline and a jetty begins after that. Three ways to find out beforehand:
Look at guest photos, not hotel photos. In guests’ pictures you can see whether people are walking into the water or crossing a jetty.
Ask the hotel directly. The question is not “Is the beach child-friendly?” – every hotel answers that with yes. The question is: “Can a child walk into the water from the sand, without a jetty and without reef shoes?”
Ask about the pool. In winter the sea is around 22–24°C, and a heated pool then matters more than any beach. More on this in Hurghada with a Baby.
Tides: Small, But Not Irrelevant
The Red Sea has only small tides. In the north, near the mouth of the Gulf of Suez where Hurghada lies, the tidal range is around 0.6 metres. Red Sea The tide table for Hurghada shows around 0.6 to 0.7 metres between high and low water at spring tides, and less on other days. Tide-Forecast That sounds like nothing. Over a shallow reef flat, though, it can be enough to mean that at low tide you can no longer swim, only wade – and anyone who stands on coral damages the reef and can easily cut their feet.
For families, that means: at a jetty beach, the water in front of the shore is even less usable for children at low tide than usual. At a sand beach, the shallow area becomes wider, which tends to suit small children better.
The Island Beaches: Shallow Water off Giftun
A beach with very shallow water lies not on the coast but on Giftun, one of the islands off Hurghada where protected-area fees may apply.
Orange Bay has a lagoon that the local dive centre Aquarius describes as warm, shallow and clear, ideal for children and non-swimmers to paddle in. Aquarius You can only get there by boat, and how long you stay on the beach and how long out at the reef depends on the programme. Mahmya is a beach camp on Giftun that is only available on GetYourGuide as a sailing trip. There are several trips to Paradise Island, including a sunset tour. How shallow the entry is where your boat moors is something the island’s name won’t tell you; ask the operator.
Five island trips compared. The shortest is the sea taxi; the longest takes up the whole day.
| Tour | Duration | from | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-Speed Sea Taxi Tour to Orange Bay or Magawish | 4 hours | €24.50 | 4.6 from 1,442 reviews | families with children who cannot swim yet |
| Sunset Paradise Island Tour With Snorkeling & Lunch | 5 hours | €20.63 | 4.5 from 605 reviews | families on a smaller budget |
| Orange Bay Yacht, Snorkel, Breakfast, Lunch & Drinks | 5 hours | €29.75 | 4.7 from 769 reviews | families who need food on board |
| Mahmya Island: Red Sea Sailing Experience | 7h 30m | €90.26 | 4.7 from 218 reviews | anyone going specifically for the Mahmya beach camp |
| Luxury Cruise Trip to Orange Bay with Lunch | 8h 30m | €45.65 | 4.9 from 6,664 reviews | children who can handle a full day on the water |
View the sea taxi schedule to Orange Bay
Giftun island trips may charge protected-area and island fees separately. Check the amount, currency, child policy and any cash payment on site for the specific offer. The official fee schedule differs by area and visitor group, so there is no single amount for everyone. EEAA Orange Bay & Giftun Island · Boat Trips with Kids
Public Beaches in Town
They exist, but only a few, and they are not what you would picture as a city beach in southern Europe.
According to a beach guide from June 2026, the public beach in El Dahar charges no entry fee, but it also has hardly any sunloungers, shade or sanitary facilities. It is used mainly by locals and is busy at the weekend – in Egypt that means Friday and Saturday. FlatSwipe
In between are beach clubs, which charge an entry fee and offer sunloungers, umbrellas and a restaurant in return – for example Old Vic next to the Marriott on the El Mamsha promenade or Dream Beach in Sekalla, both with a sandy beach. Prices vary widely depending on the source: in May 2026 the site Mein Ägypten gave 150 Egyptian pounds per person for families at Old Vic and 750 pounds including a sunlounger and towel at Dream Beach. Mein Ägypten Check in advance what applies and whether a club is open, and look at the way into the water on site. For guests of a hotel without sand entry, a day like this can be the solution.
What else sets the different districts apart is covered in What to See in Hurghada.
The Hotel Bays Outside Town
Many families stay in the hotel bays of Sahl Hasheesh, Makadi Bay or Soma Bay, south of Hurghada. Transfer times depend on the hotel and pickup point. Sand and jetty access also varies between resorts there; ask to see the entry before booking.
The price of that peace and quiet is the distance: you will be picked up earlier for excursions, and the transfer from the airport takes longer.
What Matters on the Beach with Kids
Reef shoes. Even on sandy beaches, pieces of coral sometimes lie in the water, and sea urchins and other creatures you cannot see live on the reef flat. Reef shoes protect your feet, but they are not a licence to walk on the reef.
Do not touch or take anything from the reef. Germany’s Federal Foreign Office lists an Egyptian export ban on protected natural products, including corals and shells, even when purchased. Leave beach finds where they are and follow local conservation rules. ↗
Find shade before you need it. In July and August the average daytime highs are around 37°C, and on the beach, as on the boat, the sun doesn’t only come from above: water and pale sand reflect part of it back. Hurghada climate table What you bring for sun protection is something to sort out with your paediatrician or pharmacist – we do not make recommendations on that here.
When We Advise Against It
A hotel with only a jetty, if a child cannot swim yet. The ladder at the end of the pontoon leads into water where no one can stand. Then the pool is all you have for the whole week.
Walking across the reef flat because it is possible at low tide. It damages a reef that took decades to grow, and your feet pay the price.
The public beach on Friday afternoon. If you are looking for peace and quiet with children, this is the last place you will find it.
An overview of everything that works with children in Hurghada is in Hurghada with Kids; snorkelling trips for children who would rather see the reef from a boat are listed under Snorkelling in Hurghada. If your child gets queasy on boats, read Seasick on the boat trip first.
Our recommendation
Most families need the shallow lagoon without spending a whole day on the water. The High-Speed Sea Taxi Tour to Orange Bay or Magawish suits that: four hours from €24.50 per person, rated 4.6 from 1,442 reviews. Ask in advance about shade on board and exactly where the boat moors.
Check availability for the sea taxi
Smaller budget and an afternoon slot: the Sunset Paradise Island Tour With Snorkeling & Lunch from €20.63 per person, rated 4.5 from 605 reviews. If you need breakfast and lunch on board, there is the Orange Bay Yacht, Snorkel, Breakfast, Lunch & Drinks, five hours from €29.75.
View the Orange Bay yacht with food on board
A full day on the water – the Luxury Cruise Trip to Orange Bay with Lunch, eight hours thirty minutes from €45.65, rated 4.9 from 6,664 reviews. For a child who still naps in the afternoon, that is too long, and it is better to recognise that beforehand. Mahmya Island costs from €90.26 per person – almost four times the price of the sea taxi, and only worth it if you are going specifically for that beach camp.
What we would not do: book an island trip hoping the entry into the water turns out to be sandy. Ask about that before paying – on any of the five options above.
