Paradise Island, Hurghada
The verdict
- Best for: Couples and snorkellers who want the most photogenic water near Hurghada and are willing to time the day around the crowds, treating the colour and the reef as the reward rather than peace and quiet.
- Best spot: The clear shallows off the sandbank in the early or late hours, with a small group or private charter that arrives before the fleet or lingers after it, when the island softens and almost empties.
- Know this: Paradise Island is a ticketed Giftun day trip, not a free beach, and most boats land together at midday, so a couple after quiet should arrive at the edges of the day or choose Orange Bay or Mahmya instead.
Published 12 February 2026. Last reviewed 25 March 2026
Let us be honest about the name first. Paradise Island really is beautiful, a white sandbank ringed by water in three shades of turquoise, and when a boat eases up to it in the morning light it looks every bit the brochure. The snorkelling is good, the shallows are warm and clear, and for a first taste of the Red Sea islands it delivers a genuine wow. So the colour is not the problem, and we would never pretend it is.
The problem is arithmetic. This is a small island and a popular day trip, so when the fleet lands together around the middle of the day the sandbank, the loungers and the beach bar all fill at once, and the quiet picture you came for turns into a busy, music played, towel to towel scene. That is fun if you want a lively boat day with a crowd, and a letdown if you pictured the two of you alone on an empty spit of sand. The water stays lovely, but the romance drains out of a packed island fast, and that is the honest catch behind the postcard.
So our verdict for couples is about timing, not avoidance. Go, but go clever. Pick a small group or private charter that reaches the island before the main fleet or stays after it pulls away, when the sandbank empties, the light turns gold and the colour of the water is all yours. If you cannot control the timing, weigh the quieter Giftun options at Orange Bay and the organised calm of Mahmya, both close by and often more relaxed. Bring a mask, wear reef shoes, follow the marine park rules, and treat Paradise Island as a sunrise or sunset beauty rather than a midday one. Do that and it earns its name. Turn up with the crowd and you will wonder what the fuss was about.
Clubs on this beach
Paradise Island is a day trip beach with loungers and a bar run by the boat operators rather than standalone clubs. We describe the set up honestly and route enquiries through our directory, never inventing fees or amenities.
Paradise Island day trip beach
The island is set up as a day trip beach, with sun loungers, umbrellas and a beach bar provided through the boat operators, plus snorkel gear and watersports. Verdict: a gorgeous sandbank that works best as a charter at the quiet edges of the day rather than a midday landing with the fleet, with the colour and the reef the reward and the crowd the price. Operators, inclusions and any landing or marine park fees are to be confirmed.
Paradise Island lies off the Giftun islands to the east of Hurghada and is reached only by boat, usually a cruise of around one to one and a half hours from the marina in Sakkala or from hotel jetties, sold as a ticketed day trip that often bundles a lounger and a buffet lunch on board. Boats leave in the morning and return in the afternoon, with snorkel stops along the way, so the shape of the day is set by the operator rather than by you. To soften the crowds, look for a small group or private charter with an earlier or later landing, and confirm what the fare includes before you book, since timings, inclusions and prices vary and are to be confirmed.
Bring your own mask and reef shoes to save the hire and snorkel the shallows, carry small cash for tips and any landing or marine park fee, and pack proper sun cover because the island has little natural shade and the Red Sea sun is strong all year. Reef safe sun cream, a hat and water are not optional, and the marine park asks you to keep fins and feet off the coral and to take nothing from the reef. Swim in the calm clear morning for the best visibility, and treat the gorgeous water with the care a protected island deserves.
Reserve a day at Paradise Island
Tell us your date and party and we will point you to the right boat and beach options for Paradise Island and the Giftun islands, from a quiet early charter to a calmer day at Orange Bay or Mahmya. No obligation, and we reply within a day.
Common questions
Is Paradise Island in Hurghada worth visiting?
The water is genuinely beautiful, a turquoise sandbank off the Giftun islands with bright clear shallows and a reef close by, so the setting earns its name. The honest catch is the crowds, because most boats arrive together in the middle of the day and a small island fills fast. It is worth visiting for the colour and the snorkelling, best enjoyed early or late, and a couple after quiet should consider Orange Bay or Mahmya instead. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
How do you get to Paradise Island from Hurghada?
Paradise Island sits off the Giftun islands east of Hurghada and is reached only by boat, usually a cruise of around one to one and a half hours from the marina at Sakkala or from hotel jetties, run as a ticketed day trip. The fare typically includes a lounger and often a buffet lunch on board, with snorkel stops along the way. Exact operators, timings and prices vary and are to be confirmed.
Is there an entrance fee for Paradise Island?
Yes. Paradise Island is a ticketed beach on a Giftun island, so access comes through a boat day trip or a landing fee rather than a free public stretch, and the Giftun islands sit inside a protected area with conservation fees. What is included, the lounger, the lunch, the snorkel gear, depends on the operator, so check before you book. All fees are to be confirmed and change with the season.
Is Paradise Island good for couples?
It can be, but timing is everything. In the middle of the day the island is busy with arriving boats and a beach bar in full swing, which is fun rather than romantic. For two people the move is a private or small group charter that arrives before the fleet or lingers after it leaves, when the sandbank empties and the light softens. At that hour the colour of the water and the quiet make it lovely, and conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
Can you snorkel at Paradise Island?
Yes, and it is one of the draws. The shallows off the sandbank are clear and there is reef within an easy swim or a short boat hop, with coral and reef fish on a good day. Bring or hire a mask, wear reef shoes for rocky patches, and follow the guides and the marine park rules, keeping fins off the coral. Visibility is best on calm clear mornings and conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
When is the best time to visit Paradise Island?
Hurghada is a winter sun escape, so November to April gives warm comfortable days and a warm sea, with October, November, March and May the best value shoulder weeks. On the island the early and late hours are calmest and least crowded, before and after the main fleet of day boats. High summer is very hot but cheapest, and the sea is clearest on still mornings.