Sandwiched between the African deserts of northern Egypt and the deep blue waters of the Gulf of Suez, Ras Gharib is one of the most important industrial hubs of oil production and canal way shipping this side of the Red Sea.
Untouched by the bulging crowds of dive tourists and sun-seekers that hit the shores of Sinai to the east, Ras Gharib has done well to maintain an air of locality and earthiness. A relatively new development in an otherwise ancient country, visitors can but only spy out a smattering of aging industrial sights, from the silhouettes of oil rigs and tanker ships and jetties of the port district, to the cast iron lighthouse believed to have been designed by Gostave Eiffel himself.
But then a little to the south lie shimmering beaches, luxurious resorts and famous dive spots that abound around Al Ghardaqah and Makadi Bay; be sure to ask your Ras Gharib tourist guide about them.