Where should you buy in Hurghada? An honest look at the six areas

It is the first question almost every buyer asks us: where is it worth buying? The honest answer is that it depends what you want it for. The same flat can be an excellent investment and a poor home — or the other way round.

We work with six areas. For each one we also write down what is less pleasant about it. Selling property is easy if you only mention the good parts, but then you are the one who regrets it, not us.

El Gouna — the finished little town

About 25 kilometres north of Hurghada, it works as a town of its own: schools, a hospital, a marina, a golf course, restaurants and round-the-clock security. If you are moving out here, especially with children, this is where daily life works best.

In return it is the most expensive area, and you pay for those services every month in the maintenance fee. If you only come for two weeks a year, that is a lot of money for comfort you barely use.

Who it suits: people relocating, and families who value predictability over price.

Sahl Hasheesh — the planned bay

Roughly 20 kilometres south, a gated bay drawn up on a planning table: a long sandy shore, elegant hotels and infrastructure that keeps expanding. Prices have risen most strongly here in recent years, especially on the beachfront row.

The drawback is the same thing: a lot of it is still being built. If you buy today, you will holiday next to construction for a while, and some of the services are not running yet.

Who it suits: an investor who can live with a setting that is still taking shape, and anyone looking for quiet rather than nightlife.

Makadi Bay — the quiet shore

About 30 kilometres south. Wide sandy beaches, good coral reefs, a family-friendly resort area — calmer and cheaper than El Gouna or beachfront Sahl Hasheesh.

In return it is far from everything. For shopping and errands you have to drive into Hurghada, and in the evening there is no life outside the hotels. Without a car it is hard work.

Who it suits: anyone who wants the beach at resort prices and does not mind the quiet.

Hurghada Marina — the heart of the city

On the central waterfront: restaurants, bars, boat trips, a promenade. Everything is within walking distance, and it is the easiest place for a tourist to understand and to rent — for short-term letting this is the strongest spot in the city.

The drawback is the same thing: it is loud. If you want peace and a gated compound, do not buy here.

Who it suits: short-term letting, and anyone who likes life happening around them.

Sakkala — the old Hurghada

South of the Marina, part of the old core. Property is at its cheapest here, and this is where most ordinary daily life happens: the market, small shops, local restaurants.

It also carries the highest risk. Many buildings are old, and ownership is often unclear: properties inherited across several generations, sometimes with incomplete paperwork. Reselling is slow, because there are few buyers. Only buy here after a thorough check.

Who it suits: an experienced, patient buyer who knows what they are looking at.

El Ahyaa — a quiet residential district inside the city

In the northern part of Hurghada, about fifteen minutes from the airport — and only about fifteen minutes by car from El Gouna. This is not a resort zone but a genuine residential district: quiet, and parking is not a problem, which is not something you can say everywhere in the city.

This is where the range is widest. There are gated resorts with their own beach and fine sea views, where prices are higher — and there are good flats to be had cheaply as well. For the same thing you pay considerably less than in El Gouna, which is only a quarter of an hour away.

The community is mixed: Egyptian families as well as foreigners who live here all year round or let their flat long term. It is one of the fastest-growing parts of the city.

The drawback is that same growth: right now there is construction going on in many places, and the character of the area is still settling. If you buy next to an empty plot, you do not know in advance what will go up on it.

Who it suits: anyone who wants to be close to El Gouna without paying El Gouna prices — whether cheaply or in a resort on the beach.

So which one?

If you are relocating and comfort matters most: El Gouna.
If you are buying for holidays and capital growth: Sahl Hasheesh or Makadi Bay.
If you want to let to tourists: Hurghada Marina.
If you want to be near El Gouna without El Gouna prices: El Ahyaa.
If the entry price matters most and you are an experienced buyer: Sakkala.

An honest word about prices

Prices in Hurghada differ between areas not by a few per cent but by whole multiples. In the old core there are small flats for a few tens of thousands of dollars; in El Gouna or on the Sahl Hasheesh beachfront the same floor area costs several times that. And the numbers move quickly.

That is why we do not print a price list here: it could be out of date by the time you read it. Write to us instead and we will tell you what is actually available today in the range you have in mind.

Before you sign anything

Whichever area you choose, have one thing checked: who owns the property according to the paperwork, and whether the ownership is in order. This varies a great deal between areas in Hurghada, and it is the most common problem in the older districts.

If you have a question, just write to us. We will answer even if you end up buying from someone else.