Ras Um Sid, Sharm El Sheikh
The verdict
- Best for: Snorkellers and divers who want the finest shore reef in Sharm for the price of a lounger, and value travellers who would rather pay for coral than for sand.
- Best spot: The marked entry near the lighthouse at higher water, straight onto the wall, with a cheap lounger and a shade umbrella over a costly cliff top daybed.
- Know this: The reef is the prize and it is free to swim. The sand is slim and the access is over rock and steps, so come for the wall, not for a sprawl.
Published 9 March 2026. Last reviewed 5 May 2026
If you came to Sharm El Sheikh for the coral and you do not want to pay for a boat every day, Ras Um Sid is the answer. The lighthouse reef is the best shore snorkelling on the coast, a steep wall a step from the edge, thick with soft coral and gorgonian fans and busy with fish, and you swim straight onto it. For a value minded traveller that is the holy grail, a world class reef that costs nothing to enter, because the sea is free even where the loungers are not.
The honest trade is the shape of the place. Ras Um Sid is a cliff backed headland, not a broad family beach. The sand is slim, the access is down steps or a terrace from the hotels above, and the reef drops away close to shore over rock, so the entry rewards confident swimmers and snorkellers and is awkward for paddling toddlers. Some of the cliff top hotels will sell you a costly daybed with a view, but you do not need it. A cheap lounger, an umbrella and your own mask are all the reef asks of you.
So our value verdict is simple. Stay where the rooms are cheap, at Nabq or in town, and come to Ras Um Sid for the reef on its own merits. Bring your own mask and reef shoes to skip the rental, pay only for shade and a lounger, enter at the marked point at higher water to protect the coral, and snorkel in the calm of the morning when the visibility is best. Do that and you get the finest reef in Sharm for the price of a sunbed, which is about as good as the maths gets on the Red Sea.
Clubs on this beach
Ras Um Sid is cliff top hotel terraces 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 Um Sid lighthouse terraces and dive bases
The headland is fronted by cliff top hotels and dive centres offering loungers, steps or a terrace to the reef wall and access sometimes sold to non guests. Verdict: the value reef base of Sharm, where you pay for a lounger or access and the famous coral wall is free to swim, best for confident snorkellers over sand seekers, with access and lounger charges to be confirmed.
Ras Um Sid sits on the southern headland of Sharm El Sheikh near Hadaba, a short taxi from Naama Bay and from the Old Market at Sharm El Maya, and an easy reach from the cheaper rooms at Nabq if you do not mind the ride. The lighthouse marks the spot, and the dive bases here run boat trips to Ras Mohammed and Tiran, so you can snorkel the wall in the morning and join a bigger reef trip on another day from the same headland.
Bring your own mask and reef shoes to save the hire, carry small cash for a lounger, access or a tip, and enter at the marked point at higher water so the rocky edge is kinder. Snorkel in the calm clear morning for the best visibility, keep your fins off the coral, and remember the sun is strong all year even in the mild winter, so an umbrella and water are not optional on this exposed headland.
Reserve a day at Ras Um Sid
Tell us your date and party and we will point you to the right beach and daybed options at Ras Um Sid and across Sharm El Sheikh, from the lighthouse reef wall to a boat day at Ras Mohammed. No charge to enquire.
Common questions
Is Ras Um Sid the best snorkelling in Sharm El Sheikh?
It is the best you can reach from shore without a boat. The lighthouse reef at Ras Um Sid is a steep coral wall a step from the edge, thick with soft coral, gorgonian fans and fish, and you swim straight onto it. Ras Mohammed and the Tiran reefs are richer still but need a boat, so for free shore snorkelling Ras Um Sid is the value champion. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
Is Ras Um Sid beach free?
The reef is free to swim, which is the whole value of the place, but the easy way in is often through a hotel terrace or a small public access, sometimes for a lounger or access charge, to be confirmed. There is little broad sand here, so people come for the coral rather than to sprawl. Pay for a lounger and shade if you want them, and let the wall itself cost nothing.
Is Ras Um Sid good for families?
It is better for snorkelling families than for toddlers. The reef drops away close to shore and access is over rock and steps from the cliff, so it suits children who already swim and snorkel rather than paddlers. Lifeguard cover is seasonal and not guaranteed, reef shoes are essential and the sun is strong, so very small children are easier at the shallow lagoons of Nabq or Naama. We make no swimming safety promise.
How do I get into the water at Ras Um Sid?
Most people reach the reef down steps or a terrace from the cliff top hotels, or through a small public access near the lighthouse, then enter at the marked point and swim straight onto the wall. The rock and the drop off mean reef shoes and confidence help, higher water makes entry easier, and the calm clear mornings are best. Access and lounger charges are to be confirmed.
When is the best time to visit Ras Um Sid?
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 wall is clearest 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.
