Ras Muhammad National Park

The Southern tip of the Sinai is perhaps the most stunning part of this Peninsula and home to the Ras Muhammad National Park. During my time in Sharm el Sheikh we made a couple of trips to the southern tip of the Sinai, that was before the area was declared a national park. That happened in 1983, shortly after the takeover the Sinai by the Egyptians. The best part is likely the part you can’t see, which is the underwater world and it’s amazing coral reefs.

Ras Muhammad

Ras Muhammad National Park covers an area of 480 Km2 and is a designated World Heritage Protected Area. It roughly covers the coastal area south of Sharm el Sheikh and includes the headland and the islands of Tiran and Sanafir. The national park stretches out to the coral reefs and underwater world in the Straits of Tiran and the Gulf of Suez. 135 km2 of the National Park covers land area and 345 km2 area over water. Ras Muhammad means “Mohammad’s Head” and refers to the headland sticking out of the souther tip of the Sinai.

Wildlife and Corals

This national park is incredibly diverse and home to a stunning 1000 species of fish, star fish, sea urchins. There are also more than 200 species of corals from which 125 species of soft corals. The Area is also a habitat for many important birds such as herons and seagulls. And it’s a habitat for many important birds and animals such as The Nubian ibex in the mountainous areas, small mammals, reptiles and insects that appear only at night.

Visiting Ras Muhammad

Ras Muhammad can be found 12 km south of Sharm el Sheikh. The park has beaches, mangroves, many beautiful bays and of course amazing diving sites. There’s a stunning feature at the entrance of the park called the “Gate of Allah”. From memory I recall a place somewhere on the cliffs where we actually saw sharks swimming in the shallow waters. Ras Muhammad is a stunning area and very much worth visiting when you Holiday in Sharm el Sheikh

Underwater World Video

The video of diving Sharm el Sheikh shows the incredible underwater world. Enjoy!

Gate of Allah photo used with kind permission of Pangalia