Best freediving spots in Dahab
- kasiastrzelska
- Jan 7
- 10 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
This short guide to Dahab's iconic underwater spots wasn't written by ChatGPT. So, you might find typos, overly long descriptions, or too few enthusiastic adjectives. You might also not find all the places you've heard of. What awaits you here is a subjective selection of underwater locations, compiled by a pair of freedivers who have lived in Dahab for three years and explored these spots with friends and students. In addition to the rankings, you'll also get practical tips on the spots themselves, how to get there, and the difficulty level. All information, including prices, is up to date. So let's go from number 6 to the top 1!
All photos featured in this article are by Kostek Visuals.
6 - THE CAVES
The furthest dive site from Dahab on our list, The Caves dive site is popular with both scuba divers and freedivers. Compared to other reefs, this is a unique spot, but two things make it land at the bottom of our list.
As the name suggests, The Caves is a spot famous for its caves. More specifically, there are two impressive rock overhangs – one to the right and one to the left of the entrance – covered in soft corals and sponges, and harboring a wealth of marine life. Both begin at about 3 meters and descend to about 10 meters. They are several meters long, but you don't have to swim all the way in to enjoy the atmosphere. Even at just 5 meters, you can already see what lies beneath the rock overhang and decide how deep you want to venture into the cave. The exit is not a swim-through, so you return the same way you came. If you bring a torch, you’ll spot diverse life hidden in the rock—creatures that are hard to find on other reefs, such as lobsters, starfish, and our favorites: nudibranchs
Highlights
Beautiful play of light between the rock overhangs.
Great atmosphere of venturing into caves with easily accessible depth.
The sandy bottom drops to -30 m, which together with the rocks provides a unique view and a field for deeper play.
Magical photographic possibilities.
Drawbacks
The biggest drawback of this spot is that it's only suitable for good weather. It's not recommended on windy days, especially for less experienced divers, as injury is a risk. The water is entered from a rocky ledge, where a large wave can cause you to get swept away, scratch yourself, or cut your wetsuit. Even in the water, with strong waves, it's difficult to get a steady breath up.
It is located approximately 15 km from the center of Dahab, so transportation costs are the highest.
Practical tips
A taxi from Light House to Caves costs around 700 EGP round trip + a car permit of 500 EGP is required.
There's a Bedouin-style restaurant on site, where you can order drinks and meals. As with any other restaurant, you can safely leave all your belongings here – just remember to pay even if you don't want to eat. Typically, around 200-300 EGP per person is a reasonable minimum.
Level of experience
In good weather, AIDA level 2 with a few sessions after the course will be enough to explore this place safely and with pleasure.
5 - CANYON
Thirty meters down, then around 15 meters horizontally into the canyon, and another 30 meters back up, exiting on the other side. Above you, a ceiling of rock, with shafts of light streaming through the cracks. Sounds good? Because it really is! This is a popular spot for scuba divers—in fact, eight years ago we did our scuba deep diver specialty here, and it was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever dived with a tank. The canyon drops to 40 meters and deeper, but to swim from one entrance to the other, descending to about 27 meters is enough.
Here 's my first time swimming the Canyon. And here's Kostek, definitely more relaxed than my dive. :)
Highlights
An incredible spot in its own right, even if you don’t decide to swim through it.
The wide entrance offers a beautiful perspective of the 10-meter-high rocks around you. Watch the video .
Around the Canyon there are other shallower spots worth diving with rich schools of fish, or beautiful coral you can swim through!
Drawbacks
This is an advanced spot. Even if you don't plan to do a swim-through, you must dive at least 20 meters to the canyon entrance.
The place is not sheltered from the wind, so we recommend going there only in good weather, without waves.
Practical tips
A round-trip taxi costs 400 EGP. It stops right before the Blue Hole checkpoint, so you don't have to pay Blue Hole permit.
There's a Bedouin-style restaurant next to the spot, where you can safely leave your belongings. As with everywhere else, pay, even if you don't eat.
If you decide to swim through the Canyon, plan it carefully and don’t underestimate safety! Above you, there will be a rock ceiling you need to pass under. Make sure you have a buoy and a safety diver waiting for you on the other side. If you’re not sure how to properly plan a canyon swim-through, get in touch with us and we’ll organize it for you.
4 - LIGHT HOUSE, ELEPHANT AND MORE.
Light House, the heart of freediving life—a hub of friendly cafés and restaurants where tourists and freedivers spend entire days. This is where we head for our line training sessions, but it’s also a great spot for exploring the reef, easy dives on the underwater playground with hoops, and, of course, meeting the Elephant. During the autumn-winter season, you can often spot a so-called bait ball just off the shore—a school of tiny fish that we love to swim into, letting ourselves be surrounded by a shimmering, living sphere.
Highlights
Of all the places mentioned, this is the best for any weather - the most sheltered from wind and waves.
The most easily accessible, with convenient entry into the water.
You can explore several attractions in one session.
Drawbacks
The coral reef is not as impressive as in other places.
Practical tips
The elephant is at a depth of about -26 m (bottom), and its back begins at about 22 m. With good visibility, if you dive to about 10 m, you'll be able to see it in full. In good visibility, you can already see it clearly from around 10 meters. However, to get a photo like the ones above, you should feel comfortable diving to at least 20 meters.
We often help our students by diving to the Elephant with a buoy. Like here. This way, you can descend along the line and save energy, then swim around the Elephant and return to the surface along the line. Important: if you organize this yourself with a buoy, make sure not to drop the line too close to the Elephant so that the weight doesn’t snag or damage our friend. Most people dive from nearby restaurants. The most popular among freedivers are Fresh Fish and El Primo. Remember, if you take a table, you should order something to eat (before or after diving). The prices are fair.
Level of experience
The shelter from wind and waves makes this spot great fun for an AIDA 1 student—exploring the reef or playing with the school of fish. Descending to the Elephant without a buoy is recommended for advanced divers (AIDA 3), while AIDA 2 divers should have instructor support with a buoy.
Playing on the hoops is suitable for AIDA 2 divers, as they are located between 10–12 meters.
3 - BLUE HOLE & BELLS
The star of Dahab, the Blue Hole is a 90-meter-deep coral reef sinkhole. It's an iconic spot for technical divers and deep freedivers. For me, it’s one of my favorite places—not for training, but for fun dives. I love the reef here and all the life on it. What you see in the main photo is what we call the "saddle"—the strip of reef surrounding the sinkhole. It's shallow, rich, and its shape gives it an almost otherworldly, cosmic appearance!
Swimming along the Saddle to the left, you pass a beautiful reef wall alive with hundreds of colorful fish. This route leads to another famous spot, Bells. It’s a fairly narrow rock chimney with an arch at around 25 meters. Swimming under it is pure fun, though you can also turn back above the arch if you prefer.
Highlights
A very rich and healthy reef with a variety of fish; it is easy to spot turtles, octopuses and even dolphins come by.
Good for all skill levels: snorkeling on the reef to advanced swim-through on Bells.
A iconic place on the world map, where you can meet the greatest freediving celebrities.
Drawbacks
Access and permits that require additional financial outlays:
Sanitary facilities - toilets and showers - are of low standards.
Practical tips
Don't take a taxi off the street to the Blue Hole. You need someone you trust who knows how to handle permits – contact us, we'll help.
The taxi costs 600 EGP + 600 EGP for a car permit + $20 for a national park ticket. We always try to pack the entire car to keep costs down.
Most freedivers stop at the Aqua Marina restaurant, where you can feel what the "freediving community" means.
Level of experience
You can bring your snorkeling family and friends along. To swim through the Bells Arch, we recommend you be an advanced freediver (AIDA 3) or an AIDA 2 with experience and a comfortable depth of at least -25 meters.
2 - THE ISLANDS
Number one in terms of reef diversity, but second in terms of logistics. The name comes from the terrain: the reefs form small islands with a sandy bottom between them. Here, you can easily spot turtles, eagle rays, schools of fish, and even larger predators. There are small swim-throughs within the reef itself, if you know where to look for :). A true playground for nature lovers!
Highlights
A very large and diverse reef with an abundance of underwater life.
Shallow: the average depth of divers there is between 3 m and 10 or 15 m.
A quiet place away from the hustle and bustle, not built up with any premises.
Drawbacks
Getting there and back: It's not easy to get a taxi there, so you'll need to arrange a specific pickup time with the driver.
Lack of a restaurant - a plus for some, a minus for others. :)
You leave your personal belongings on the beach. We've never had any theft, but of all the spots, it's the least secure.
Practical tips
A round-trip taxi costs around 300 EGP. Remember to arrange a time with the driver to pick you up and pay only on the return trip.
If you want to sail around the entire place, reserve at least 2 hours in the water.
You'll need to swim several dozen meters before breaking through the shallows to the reef proper. Remember, even if the water level is low, never walk on the reef!
There's a small restroom with a toilet and shower (not for the faint of heart), run by a very kind and unobtrusive older man. You can also order tea and leave your belongings there if you're afraid to leave it on the beach. It's worth leaving a few pounds for the gentleman, as he's a sweetheart, even though he doesn't have much himself, he still feeds the local dogs and keeps an eye on your belongings. <3
Level of experience
You don't need to be an advanced diver - the AIDA 1 is also ok for snorkeling - but you do need to be comfortable in the water for a longer session.
1 - EEL GARDEN
A paradise for photography enthusiasts, GoPro enthusiasts... and of course eel fans! :)
The name Eel Garden comes from the charming inhabitants of the sandy bottom. The eels poke their heads out of the sand to catch food, and when you get close, they hide in sync. Just like in the video . But for me, it's not the eels that matter here, but the underwater scenery. First, you swim through the shallows for about five minutes, until suddenly, you see a drop down into a beautiful, colorful, and life-giving reef wall. Combined with the pristine sandy bottom, hard to find elsewhere in Dahab, it's a visual paradise! This is the perfect place for someone seeing a reef for the first time – a guaranteed wow factor.
Oh, and it's worth noting that one of our two spontaneous dolphin encounters in Dahab was at Eel Garden! Here's the recording!
Highlights
Easy and inexpensive access. Located a few hundred meters north of the Light House.
A beautiful reef and lots of opportunities to explore.
It is easy to spot turtles here, moray eels in the shallows and many different species of fish.
Drawbacks
The actual reef is several dozen meters from the shore, which can be tiring in strong winds.
Practical tips
You have two options for using this spot. One is the main entrance, from the small beach, where there's no option to leave your belongings, so you arrive in your gear. The other is to use the nearby restaurant: Happy Hour or Eel Gardne View. Here, as with all other restaurants, you need to order a minimum of £200/£300 to leave your belongings.
Level of experience
In good weather—without wind or waves—this is a good spot even for beginners. However, in windy conditions, a mini AIDA2 or instructor supervision is recommended. Be mindful about the common riptides here!
SUMMARY and MESSAGE
Dahab is paradise! I'm glad I wrote this post, because I've rediscovered my love for these familiar places and now I want to embark on reef adventures!
The uniqueness of Dahab's underwater environment lies in the extraordinary resilience of its coral reef. Climate change is wreaking havoc on the seas and oceans, and reefs are a litmus test. What we saw on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia hardly compares to the strength and beauty of the Red Sea. Of course, coral bleaching also occurs in Dahab, but the greatest threat to its survival is not temperature, but human activity. Walking on the reef, digging, and anchorages are all mechanical damage that kill it. When using the sea, never be afraid to speak up when you see someone behaving irresponsibly. Explain patiently or firmly—I use both methods. Even if you're just a visitor, you have the right to defend this place, because the coral reef belongs to us all!
Contact us, and we'll organize a tour of Dahab's best underwater spots for you! If you'd like to brush up on your skills first, book a training session with us. See how we teach .
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