Geographical location
According to abbreviationfinder, the small town of Marsa Alam, located on the Red Sea in Egypt, is a resort with around 2000 permanent residents, known for its sandy beaches and coral reefs.
The city is located around 270 kilometers south of Hurghada, 220 kilometers east of Edfu. Marsa Alam has had its own international airport since 2001.
For many decades the main business of the inhabitants was fishing and agriculture. A smaller part works in the marble mines. In the meantime tourism is becoming more and more important. Numerous upscale hotel resorts have opened directly on the coast of Marsa Alam and are a popular travel destination, especially for beach holidaymakers and divers.
Sea turtles and even rare manatees (dugongs) are regularly sighted in the u-shaped Abu Dabab Bay. Kite surfers love the protected El Naaba lagoon. Not far from the city is the large Wade El Gemal National Park.
Climate in Marsa Alam
In the cooler season from November to March, the daytime temperatures are around 25 to 27 degrees, in midsummer from mid- April to the end of October the daily values are constantly above 30 degrees. The hottest months are June, July and August. There is no significant rainfall all year round. The region around Marsa Alam is very dry and desert-like.
The water temperatures only drop slightly in winter. In the course of January, they reach their lowest value with a mild 23 degrees and rise to 30 degrees in August. Due to the low humidity, even the strong heat in summer is usually not perceived by healthy people as particularly uncomfortable.
When is the best time to visit Marsa Alam?
The best time to travel to Marsa Alam is between mid-October and early May. During this time, the temperatures reach a maximum of 32 ° C on average and bring at least some cooling at night. At these temperatures, activities can be comfortably experienced in non-air-conditioned vehicles and the beach is always warm enough for relaxation and bathing fun.
If you don’t have any problems with extreme heat and can stand maximum temperatures above 40 degrees, Marsa Alam is of course also in good hands during the popular summer months. Since there is no rainy season, Marsa Alam is very easy to travel all year round. However, the hotels get very crowded during the summer holidays in July and August.
Temperatures, precipitation, sunshine
| Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Daytime temperature | 23 ° C | 25 ° C | 27 ° C | 30 ° C | 33 ° C | 35 ° C | 36 ° C | 35 ° C | 34 ° C | 32 ° C | 27 ° C | 25 ° C |
| Night temperature | 13 ° C | 14 ° C | 17 ° C | 20 ° C | 23 ° C | 25 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 25 ° C | 22 ° C | 19 ° C | 15 ° C |
| Water temperature | 23 ° C | 24 ° C | 24 ° C | 25 ° C | 26 ° C | 28 ° C | 29 ° C | 30 ° C | 30 ° C | 28 ° C | 27 ° C | 25 ° C |
| Precipitation in mm | 0 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| Rainy days | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Hours of sunshine | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 |
| Sunrise | 6:25 | 6:15 | 5:50 | 5:20 | 4:55 | 4:50 | 5:00 | 5:15 | 5:25 | 5:40 | 5:55 | 6:15 |
| Sunset | 17:10 | 17:35 | 17:50 | 18:00 | 18:15 | 18:30 | 18:35 | 18:15 | 17:45 | 17:15 | 16:55 | 16:55 |
Temperatures
The annual average temperature is 25.3 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is July (31.3 ° C), coldest month of January with mean values of 18 ° C. The maximum water temperature is 30 ° C. Comfortable bathing is possible at these temperatures. All months have a water temperature of at least 21 ° C and are therefore suitable for a beach holiday.
Precipitation
The annual precipitation is 33 mm on 6 days with precipitation. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. There is no rainy season, i.e. months with more than 175 mm of precipitation. Snowfall is generally not expected in any month.
Sunshine
As our climate table shows, May is the sunniest month with an average of 13 hours of sunshine per day. On average over the year the sun shines for 11.5 hours per day. For comparison: In Munich and Berlin, the sun shines an average of 4.7 hours per day throughout the year.
Sights and attractions
Despite its small, manageable size, the city of Marsa Alam with its surrounding area and the nearby Red Sea offers some national parks and attractions that are well worth seeing. Diving and snorkeling on the coast is comparable to snorkeling and diving in Hurghada or Sharm El Sheikh, as it was in the 80s of the 20th century. There you enter a wonderful underwater world, in which there are dolphins, manatees and almost untouched coral reefs to be discovered.
50 km south of Marsa Alam is Wadi-Al-Gamal, a national park, the area of which extends to the beaches of the Red Sea and consists largely of desert, coral reefs and mountains. One of the most famous beaches in Marsa Alam is Marsa Murena. A place where you can meet sea turtles, dugongs, the manatees and dolphins listed above while snorkeling. The Pharaonic Gold Mine and the Emerald Gold Mine are mines that are worth seeing for those interested. There is also a temple of Seti I near Wadi Miya, which culture enthusiasts should visit.
Marsa Alam weather in March, April and May
Average daily temperatures between 27 ° C and 33 ° C can be expected over the next three months. In Marsa Alam it gets warmest in May, while March is noticeably cooler.
Do you want to go on a beach holiday? The water temperatures are in March, April and May 24-26 ° C. This is great weather for a great time on the beach and in the water.
In March, at about one day be expected precipitation in April at about one day in May at about 0 days.
In the period from March to May the sun shines on average between 11 and 13 hours a day. The sunniest weather is in May in Marsa Alam, with less sun you will have to get by in March.
