Marsa Nakari Diving Guide: House Reef, Elphinstone & Day Trips
Marsa Nakari is a relaxed eco-camp just south of Marsa Alam, built around one of the southern Red Sea’s finest house reefs. It is a favourite for unlimited shore diving, courses and easy day trips — without a long boat schedule. This guide covers the house reef, the day activities you can book, the offshore sites within reach, who it suits, and how to plan your stay.
The Marsa Nakari house reef
A sheltered, sandy-bottomed bay slopes gently into coral heads, pinnacles and swim-throughs, with a famous “anemone city” on the north side and pretty coral gardens to the south. You can gear up and giant-stride straight off the beach as often as your no-deco limits allow — ideal for building skills, practising buoyancy, and photography.
Day trips & activities you can book
- 1 Day Unlimited Diving — €77
- Single House-Reef Dive — €39
- Two Dives by Minibus (Inner Range) — €48
- Snorkeling Trip by Minibus — €48
- One Dive by Speedboat (Inner Range) — €24
- One Dive by Speedboat (Outer Range) — €36
Reaching Elphinstone and the offshore reefs
A short speedboat ride opens up the inner and outer range — including the legendary walls of Elphinstone, the drift reefs and pinnacles around Nakari, and the dolphins of Shaab Samadai. The inner-range minibus sites, meanwhile, take you to famous bays such as Abu Dabbab, home to turtles and the occasional dugong.
Courses & unlimited diving
The calm, shallow house reef is perfect for learning to dive or progressing your certification, and the unlimited-diving option lets certified divers log dive after dive at their own pace. It is one of the best-value ways to build experience in the Red Sea.
Who Marsa Nakari suits
All levels, from first-timers taking a course to experienced divers logging back-to-back dives — and non-diving partners, thanks to the easy snorkeling trips. If you want relaxed, nature-focused diving without a rigid schedule, Marsa Nakari is hard to beat.
Best time to visit
Marsa Nakari dives well year-round, with summer best for the offshore reefs and sharks, and spring/autumn offering calm seas and great value.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be certified to dive Marsa Nakari?
To dive independently, yes — but you can take a course here on the calm house reef, or snorkel if you prefer to stay at the surface.
What is “unlimited diving”?
After a couple of guided orientation dives, certified divers can dive the house reef as many times as they like in the day, within safe limits — tanks and weights included.
Can I reach Elphinstone from Marsa Nakari?
Yes — by speedboat as a day dive, conditions and experience permitting.
Is Marsa Nakari good for families?
Yes — the calm bay is family-friendly, with snorkeling for non-divers and courses for beginners.
Plan your Marsa Nakari trip
Stay-and-dive packages bundle your accommodation, guided diving and transfers — and we regularly run a discount on Marsa Nakari stays. See the Marsa Nakari page, compare Marsa Alam diving, or customise your trip.
