Hurghada House Reef

A fringing reef that starts in waist-deep water and steps down a coral wall to around 20 metres. Because it is sheltered and reachable from shore or a short boat hop, it is the standard site for introductory dives, night dives and refresher sessions. Expect hard and soft corals, anthias, parrotfish, moray eels and, after dark, hunting lionfish and Spanish dancers.

The reefs fringing the Egyptian Red Sea coast are part of one of the world's northernmost tropical reef systems, sustained by warm, clear and unusually salty water. Growth here is slow — a few millimetres a year — which is why local operators brief guests on not touching or standing on coral.