Ras Nasrani, Sharm El Sheikh
The verdict
- Best for: Confident snorkellers and divers who want a wall and a drift reef from shore for the price of a lounger, and value travellers who would rather pay for coral than for facilities.
- Best spot: A calm morning entry off the beach with the current behind you, a cheap lounger for shade, and the drift run along the wall rather than a fight back against the flow.
- Know this: The reef is excellent and free, but the current and the wind are real. Read them, swim with them, and skip it on a rough windy day.
Published 29 March 2026. Last reviewed 1 May 2026
Ras Nasrani is a snorkeller's and diver's beach on the northern headland of Sharm, and for the right traveller it is superb value. The reef is the reason to come, a wall that drops away close to shore onto a coral plateau, with rich fish life and a current that often carries you on a gentle drift along the coral. You swim onto serious reef straight from the beach, and the sea itself costs nothing, so you are paying at most for a lounger and some shade to enjoy one of the better walls in Sharm.
The honest part is that Ras Nasrani asks something of you in return. The current that makes the drift so pleasant in one direction makes the swim back hard in the other, so this is a beach to read before you enter, planning your exit with the flow rather than against it. The headland is breezy too, which is a bonus for the windsurfers but can chop the surface and tire a swimmer. None of that is a problem for a confident snorkeller who checks conditions, but it does mean Ras Nasrani is not the place to drop a small child for a paddle.
So our value verdict splits cleanly by who you are. If you swim well and want a free wall reef with a drift, stay where the rooms are cheap and come here for the coral, bring your own mask and reef shoes, ask locally about the current and the wind, and snorkel in the calm of the morning with the flow behind you. If you have toddlers or you are nervous in moving water, take the easy shallow lagoons at Nabq or Naama instead and save Ras Nasrani for a day trip or a guided snorkel when you are ready for it.
Clubs on this beach
Ras Nasrani is resort beaches and dive bases rather than standalone clubs, with loungers and reef access from each property. We describe the options honestly and route enquiries through our directory, never inventing fees or amenities.
Ras Nasrani resort beaches and dive bases
The headland is lined with resorts and dive centres offering loungers, beach access to the wall reef and windsurfing off the sand, with access sometimes sold to non guests. Verdict: a value reef base for confident swimmers, where you pay for a lounger or access and the wall and drift are free to swim, best read on a calm morning with the current behind you, with access and lounger charges to be confirmed.
Ras Nasrani sits on the far northern headland of Sharm El Sheikh near the airport and looking out toward the Tiran reefs, a short taxi from Nabq and a longer one from Naama Bay. Many visitors stay at the cheaper Nabq resorts or in town and come over for the reef, and the dive bases here run boat trips to the Tiran straits, so the headland doubles as a launch point for the bigger reefs as well as the wall on its doorstep.
Bring your own mask and reef shoes to skip the hire, carry small cash for a lounger, access or a tip, and ask locally about the current and the wind before you swim. Plan your entry and exit with the drift, snorkel in the calm of the morning before the breeze builds, keep your fins off the coral, and remember the sun is strong all year even in the mild winter, so shade and water are essential on this exposed headland.
Reserve a day at Ras Nasrani
Tell us your date and party and we will point you to the right beach and daybed options at Ras Nasrani and across Sharm El Sheikh, from the wall reef and drift to a boat day on the Tiran straits. No charge to enquire.
Common questions
Is Ras Nasrani good for snorkelling in Sharm El Sheikh?
Yes, it is one of the better shore reefs in Sharm, with a wall and a coral plateau reached from the beach and a regular drift along the reef when the current runs. There is rich fish life and good visibility on calm days. It rewards confident swimmers more than the easy lagoon snorkeller, so read the current and the wind before you go in. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
Is Ras Nasrani free to visit?
The reef is free to swim, which is the value of the place, but the easiest access is often through one of the resorts or dive bases nearby, sometimes for a lounger or access charge, to be confirmed. There is sand for a towel, but people come for the wall and the drift more than to sprawl. Pay only for shade and a lounger and let the reef itself cost nothing.
How strong is the current at Ras Nasrani?
Ras Nasrani is known for a current that often runs along the reef, which makes for an easy drift in one direction but a hard swim back the other way. Plan your entry and exit with the current, not against it, ask locally about the day's conditions, and only snorkel here if you are comfortable in moving water. The headland is also breezy, so the calmer mornings are best. We make no swimming safety promise.
Is Ras Nasrani good for families?
It is better for confident swimming families than for toddlers. The reef wall, the drop off and the regular current make it a snorkeller's beach rather than a paddling lagoon, so it suits older children who swim well. Lifeguard cover is seasonal and not guaranteed, reef shoes are essential and the sun is strong, so for small children the shallow lagoons of Nabq or Naama are easier. We make no swimming safety promise.
When is the best time to visit Ras Nasrani?
Sharm is a winter sun escape, so November to April gives warm comfortable days and a warm sea when Europe is cold, with October, November, March and May the best value shoulder weeks. The reef is clearest and the wind lightest on calm mornings, and high summer is very hot but cheapest. See our Sharm El Sheikh when to go guide for the month by month detail.
