Hamata

Hamata is a base for reef trips in Egypt’s southern Red Sea, with accommodation spread along the coast rather than gathered around a busy resort centre. Choose it for time on the water and quiet evenings; the airport transfer and your chosen lodge’s boat routine matter more here than proximity to nightlife. Wadi Lahami lies farther south.

In this page you will find practical information to plan a scuba diving trip to Hamata:

Where to stay?

I usually use this website to book in advance my hotels in Hamata as they usually have the lowest rates I find. I like it because it's free to cancel and change the dates.

Choose the accommodation around how you want to spend your days. Wadi Lahami offers Royal Tents and Deluxe Chalets, with a dive programme based on RIB trips. Lahami Bay Beach Resort is a hotel alternative with direct beach access to the bay and reef. A tent-based diving stay and a beach hotel offer different rhythms, so compare the room, shore access and daily boat arrangements as well as the price.

A dated accommodation budget

For foreign non-residents, Wadi Lahami’s 1 November 2026–30 April 2027 tariff lists a Royal Tent in double occupancy at €74 per person/night in high season or €63 in January–February. Full board, standard soft drinks, dispenser water, tea and coffee are included. The mandatory environmental fee is €5 per person/stay; transfers, diving and chargeable extras are additional. These are accommodation rates, not a verified non-diver package or cruise discount. Ask for a written total for both members of a mixed party.

Activities and excursions in Hamata

It is a calm region away from the noise, crowds and bustle of the cities. There is no busy city centre: the appeal is the open view towards sea and mountains and time to relax.

Travelling with a non-diver?

A land stay gives companions more choice than a dive-led cruise. Red Sea Diving Safari explicitly welcomes snorkellers on speedboats to most Wadi Lahami dive sites, with sheltered shallow reef areas on suitable outings. This is not a promise that every trip suits every swimmer: confirm the site, supervision, equipment, age conditions and the separate excursion fare.

The 1 November 2026–30 April 2027 tariff for foreign non-residents lists snorkelling with divers at €17 in-shore or €44 off-shore. These are activity prices, separate from accommodation. The table does not specify the charging basis, duration or full inclusions, so ask for a written quote covering your chosen outing, equipment, supervision and any entry fees. Rates checked 30 October 2026.

Wadi Lahami also offers kitesurfing and birdwatching near protected mangroves; courses and equipment need separate arrangements. Lahami Bay Beach Resort offers sandy beach access to its bay and house reef, a useful alternative for companions who prefer not to spend the day on a boat. Access conditions still depend on the sea and local guidance. Sataya dolphin outings are weather-dependent wildlife trips, not guaranteed encounters; never chase, touch or crowd resting animals.

Best time to visit Hamata

Summer is hot, with shade and sun protection useful between outings; winter brings cooler evenings and more need for warm layers after the water. Diving operates throughout the year, but a booking does not guarantee access to every offshore reef. Red Sea Diving Safari’s winter information specifically warns that sea conditions can make RIB journeys uncomfortable and recommends a wind jacket and cap. Choose dates around both your tolerance for heat and the kind of boat outings you want.

Health and Safety

This is a remote coastal holiday. Ask your dive operator about oxygen, communications and its current evacuation arrangements before committing to offshore trips. Do not plan around an assumed nearby recompression chamber. Check that your insurance covers the actual diving, depths and evacuation arrangements; a chamber-support contribution is not comprehensive insurance.

Leave a suitable interval between the last dive and your flight. DAN recommends at least 12 hours after a single no-decompression dive and 18 hours after repetitive dives or multiple diving days for divers without symptoms; longer intervals further reduce risk. Decompression diving needs longer planning. If symptoms suggest a diving injury, seek medical advice and do not fly.

Bring personal medication, sun protection, a warm layer for windy boat rides and the documents requested by your operator. Check airline rules for diving equipment, batteries and baggage before departure.

If you are planning an upcoming dive trip or travelling to Hamata, it is a really good idea to invest in travel insurance for scuba diving, because you never know what could happen and when you might need it (because accidents do happen!). I recommend this diving insurance as they offer worldwide coverage and focus on providing scuba divers a quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Where is Hamata located in the world?

Hamata lies south of Marsa Alam on the mainland Red Sea coast, north of the Ras Banas peninsula. Red Sea Diving Safari places Wadi Lahami 10 km south of Hamata. This older regional map helps locate the area; use your accommodation’s current transfer instructions for the actual arrival point.

For Hamata and Wadi Lahami, arrange the road transfer from your arrival airport to the exact lodge. A southern liveaboard itinerary does not establish Hamata as its boarding port; follow the departure confirmation.

Fury Shoals dive-site reference map

These CDWS reference positions locate seven named reefs, not entries or navigation instructions. There is no implied route or guaranteed order.

• Abu Galawa Soraya — yacht wreck reef.
• Abu Galawa Kebir — tugboat reef.
• Claudia — coral and canyon system.
• Maksour — exposed outer reef.
• Malahi — reef channels.
• Sataya northwest and southeast — reference positions for the large reef.

How to get to Hamata?

Marsa Alam airport is the nearer established arrival option; Hurghada involves a substantially longer drive. Distances depend on the lodge: Wadi Lahami’s operator gives 180 km from Marsa Alam airport and 393 km from Hurghada airport to its village. These are lodge distances, not distances to every hotel sold as Hamata.

Your property is the best starting point for arranging the airport pickup, because the final lodge location and any shared-transfer wait shape the journey. Agreeing the expected travel time and late-arrival arrangements before booking makes it easier to choose a workable flight. For a cruise, use the embarkation port written on that departure’s confirmation; a southern Red Sea itinerary does not automatically embark at Hamata.

Do I need a visa for Hamata?

Passport and visa

Entry rules depend on nationality. The official Egypt e-Visa portal lists tourist e-Visas at US$30 single entry or US$65 multiple entry, and a passport valid for at least six months from arrival. Check eligibility and apply through the official portal at least seven days before departure. Keep the visa printout, itinerary and accommodation details available. A Sinai-only permission does not cover mainland Hamata.

Getting Around

Daily transport here follows the accommodation and activities you have booked. A lodge transfer, a marina pickup and a liveaboard transfer are different services, so the exact meeting point and luggage allowance need to be clear. It is also worth settling payment methods, equipment availability and dietary needs with the property before arrival; keeping confirmations offline is useful if connectivity is limited.

Hamata travel questions

Is Hamata the same as Marsa Alam?

No. Hamata is farther south; check the property’s actual location before choosing flights or transfers.

Can I stay here without diving?

Yes, resort and lodge stays offer beach time and other activities. Snorkelling boat acceptance is operator-specific, and the excursion fare and supervision should be confirmed separately.

Should I book Hurghada or Marsa Alam airport?

Marsa Alam is nearer to the Hamata area. Compare the full flight-and-transfer cost and schedule, not the airfare alone.

Does a southern liveaboard start in Hamata?

Not necessarily. The named embarkation port on your dated departure determines the transfer.

Travel information and operator tariffs checked 24 October 2026. Confirm your dated booking’s inclusions and entry requirements before travel.

Hamata Photos

Scuba diving

You will find all information about sea life, best time to visit, top dive spots, etc. in our review: Hamata Diving