Hadaba, Sharm El Sheikh
The verdict
- Best for: Snorkellers and divers who want a world class house reef straight off the shore and a quieter base than Naama, and value travellers happy to pay a small reef entry instead of a high clifftop room rate.
- Best spot: The El Fanar Beach pier for the easiest drop onto the Ras Um Sid wall, with Temple Reef the second great shore dive, and a clifftop terrace for the sunset rather than a swim.
- Know this: Hadaba is a reef on a cliff, not a sandy bay. The value is the coral you reach for a few pounds, so pay the small pier fee and skip the premium room unless the reef view is the holiday.
Published 27 February 2026. Last reviewed 1 June 2026
Hadaba is the clifftop district at the southern end of Sharm El Sheikh, and for a value minded snorkeller it hides the best deal on the coast. The reef here is genuinely world class, the same Ras Um Sid wall and Temple coral that day boats charge to reach, except from Hadaba you can swim onto it from the shore. El Fanar Beach charges only a small entry for its pier, and that single low fee buys you a step straight over a drop off thick with fish, which is far cheaper than a boat or a premium reef view room.
The honest catch is that Hadaba is a reef on a cliff and not a beach in the holiday sense. There is little soft sand, the entries are ladders, piers and rock rather than a gentle paddle, and the plateau is a string of hotels rather than an open public shore. Families with small children and anyone who wants to lie on sand and wade in will be happier on the calm bays at Naama or Nabq, and we would rather say that plainly than sell you the wrong spot. The reef rewards confident swimmers, not toddlers.
On where to spend, our view is firm. The clifftop resorts trade on the reef and the sunset view and charge accordingly, so unless that view is the whole point of your holiday, the smarter move is to base somewhere cheaper and pay the small El Fanar entry on the days you want the wall. Bring your own mask and reef shoes rather than hiring, go early before the wind and the boats arrive, and treat the coral gently. Done that way, Hadaba gives you one of the great shore reefs of the Red Sea for the price of a sandwich.
Clubs on this beach
Hadaba is lined with reef resorts and dive fronts rather than party beach clubs, with El Fanar the one paid beach that anyone can use. We describe the options honestly and route enquiries through our directory, never inventing fees or amenities.
El Fanar Beach
The lighthouse beach below the cliffs, with a pier that drops you straight onto the Ras Um Sid reef wall, plus loungers, a restaurant and shade. Verdict: the best value reef access in Sharm, where a small entry buys the easiest snorkel on the coast, with the day charge to be confirmed and busy from late morning, so come early.
Hadaba reef resorts and dive fronts
The clifftop hotels run their own sun terraces, ladders and house reefs, with day passes sometimes sold to non guests. Verdict: comfortable and quiet with the reef on the doorstep, but you pay resort rates for a view, so this is for the diver who wants the water steps from the room rather than the value day tripper, with passes and any minimum spend to be confirmed.
Hadaba sits at the southern tip of Sharm El Sheikh, a short cheap taxi from Naama Bay and the airport, so you can stay in cheaper central Naama and ride down to the reef whenever you want it. The plateau is walkable once you are up there, with El Fanar, the dive centres and the clifftop restaurants close together, and the same taxis link you on to the headland bays and the boat marinas for trips to Tiran and Ras Mohammed.
Bring your own mask and reef shoes rather than hiring, and carry some cash for the El Fanar entry, a lounger and a meal. The reef is clearest and calmest in the morning before the wind and the boats arrive, the sun is strong year round even in the mild winter, and the coral is fragile, so float over it and never stand on it. Decide before you go whether you want the cheap pier swim or a resort terrace, because that choice sets the cost of the day.
Reserve a day at Hadaba
Tell us your date and party and we will point you to the right reef and daybed options at Hadaba and across Sharm El Sheikh, from the El Fanar pier to a quiet clifftop terrace. No charge to enquire.
Common questions
Is Hadaba beach free in Sharm El Sheikh?
Mostly not free, but cheap. Hadaba is a clifftop hotel district rather than an open public beach, so the shore reefs are reached through resort fronts or through El Fanar Beach, which charges a small entry that buys a pier straight onto the reef. The value move is to pay that one small fee for the best house reef rather than book an expensive clifftop room, with the exact charge to be confirmed.
Is Hadaba good for snorkelling?
Yes, it is some of the best shore snorkelling in Sharm. The reef drops away just metres from the cliffs at El Fanar and Temple, so a short swim or a step off a pier puts you over a wall of coral and fish. There is little soft sand, so bring reef shoes and a mask, and pick a calm morning. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
Does Hadaba have a sandy beach?
Not really. Hadaba sits on a raised plateau of cliffs, so the appeal is the reef and the view rather than a long sandy bay. Hotels build sun terraces and piers down to the water, and El Fanar has a small beach by its pier. If soft sand for children is the priority, the calm bays at Naama or Nabq suit better, and we say so honestly.
Is Hadaba worth staying in?
It suits divers and snorkellers who want the reef on the doorstep and a quieter base than Naama. The honest catch is that clifftop resort rates can be high for what is a reef rather than a beach, so value travellers often stay cheaper nearby and visit the reef for a small entry. Choose Hadaba for the water, not for sand or nightlife.
How do you get into the water at Hadaba?
Through your hotel terrace, down resort steps, or off the El Fanar Beach pier, which is the easiest entry of all and the reason that small fee is worth paying. Walking across the shallow reef flat on foot is hard on coral and feet, so a pier or a ladder is far better. Reef shoes and care with the coral matter, and conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
When is the best time to visit Hadaba?
Sharm is a winter sun star, so November to April gives warm comfortable days and a warm sea when Europe is cold, while the shoulder weeks of October, November, March and May add the best value. High summer is very hot but cheapest, best handled with an early reef swim and a shaded terrace. See our Sharm El Sheikh when to go guide for the detail.
