Family Beaches
in Sharm El Sheikh

Sharm El Sheikh is famous for its reef, which is wonderful for snorkellers and a complication for families, because the best coral sits on deep drop offs that are wrong for toddlers. The good news is that the same coast has a handful of sheltered sandy bays where the water stays calm and shallow and children can paddle close to shore. Behind that sand sit loungers, cafes and water sports, and the value trick is to use the public stretches and promenades for a cheap day and pay a resort daybed only when you actually want the pool and the service.

We have ranked the beaches that work best for families, weighing how calm and shallow the water is, how soft the sand, how much shade and how many facilities sit behind the beach, and how cheap and easy each is to reach with children. The standouts pair gentle water with somewhere to sit, eat and shelter from the sun in one place, so the adults relax while the children stay happy and close. The honest note on which famous spots to skip with little ones follows the ranking, because in Sharm the prettiest water underwater is often the wrong water for a paddle.

For families the sheltered sandy bays are the safe bet, and Naama Bay is the standout, the calmest shallow sand with the easiest facilities and the best base in town. Nabq Bay is the wide calm runner up at the family resorts, Sharm El Maya is the cheaper sheltered bay in Old Sharm, Coral Bay is a tidy resort cove with a gentle first snorkel, and Soho Square pairs a calm resort beach with a free family evening. These spots put gentle shallow water, sand, food and shade in one place, which is exactly what a day with young children needs, and several let you pick free public sand or a paid lounger.

Some of the most famous water in Sharm is wrong for small children, and it pays to know which to skip. Ras Mohammed National Park is a wild reserve with deep drop offs and almost no facilities, the clifftop reefs at Hadaba and Ras Um Sid have ladders and deep walls rather than a paddle, and the Tiran reefs are a boat trip with no beach to stand on. These are superb for confident swimmers and older snorkelling children, but they are not toddler water. There are few lifeguards across Sharm, the sun is fierce and the reef means rocky patches even on the calm bays, so supervise children closely, keep them in the shallows of the sandy bays, pack reef shoes and shade, and remember we describe typical conditions only with no safety guarantees.

A serviced family day in Sharm usually means choosing a sheltered bay like Naama or Nabq, then hiring sunbeds and an umbrella beside the shallow water, often with a cafe or resort restaurant a few steps back for lunch and ice creams. The value alternative is the public sand and the promenades, where your own towel, shade and picnic keep the day cheap. Either way the calm shallow water is the priority for young children and the lounger is the comfort on top.

Lounger rates, day passes and any minimum spend change by beach and by season, so tell us your dates, party size and which bay you fancy and we will pass your enquiry to a venue that suits families, then they can confirm availability and any charge. See our Sharm El Sheikh beach clubs guide for the full picture of who runs which front.