---
node: dest_nabq_bay
type: destination
slug: nabq_bay
title: "Nabq Bay"
lead: "Nabq Bay lies 20 kilometres north of Sharm el-Sheikh inside the Nabq Protected Area, where mangroves grow on a desert shore. It is a quieter resort strip beside Sinai's largest mangrove stand."
published: 2026-08-12
updated: 2026-08-12
image_file: dest_nabq_bay.jpg
image_source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nabq_Protected_Area_,_photo_by_Hatem_Moushir_17.jpg"
image_author: "Hatem Moushir"
image_license: "CC BY-SA 4.0"
---

## Overview

The protected area covers 600 square kilometres of coast, reef and desert, and the mangrove belt along the shoreline is the northernmost in the world — the trees survive on salt water and desert heat, and shelter the fish nursery that feeds the reef. Bedouin of the Muzeina live within the reserve. The hotels sit outside the mangrove zone, on a windy stretch that suits kitesurfers.

## Highlights

Walk the mangrove boardwalk in the reserve at low tide; the roots and the shorebirds are the point. The wreck of the Maria Schroeder lies visible on the reef offshore. The wind that makes the bay poor for calm swimming makes it one of Egypt's best kite spots.