Spared by the hordes of international tourists, the virgin coastal town of El-Quseir holds that indescribable cachet a few paradisiacal holiday destinations still share nowadays.

Immersing yourself in the narrow streets of El-Quseir, wandering between the coral-block buildings, tasting the fresh fruits and vegetables sold by the local vendors in the town’s traditional market and strolling along the waterfront are almost spiritually renewing experiences.

The port town has been inhabited for no less than 5000 years, and in its time of glory, El-Quseir served as a major exit point for pilgrims travelling to Mecca and a thriving trade port through which transited all goods between the Nile Valley and the Red Sea – and beyond.

Over the past few years, El-Quseir has become a top diving destination in the Red Sea of Egypt. The town’s coast boasts some of the Red Sea’s most amazing underwater vistas, no less than 80 astonishing diving sites. Some of the most known are the amazing Cathedral, a labyrinth of tunnels and caverns, the flourishing gardens of Omar Sukan, the coralline paradise of Ras Quseir inhabited by dozens of Anemones, and Serib Kebir used as the movie set of the biographical film about the life of Hans Hass, the diving pioneer and his wife.

El-Quseir is located 205 kilometres south of Hurghada and 103km north of Marsa Alam and it enjoys an all-year-round lovely weather. The dry desert climate on the Red Sea coast can cause great temperature differences between the day and the night, and temperatures can reach highs of 40 C and lows of 18 C.