Get Out Of Town While Sharm El-Sheikh has everything you can possibly imagine, it’s definitely worth exploring more. South Sinai has spectacular nature reserves, ancient fortresses and coral reefs, all within a three- to four-hour drive from the resort.

There are four protected natural areas in South Sinai, encompassing coastline along the southern Gulf of Aqaba, coral reefs and islands, and desert mountains. Of the four, the closest to Sharm El-Sheikh is Ras Mohamed National Park, covering the extreme southern tip of the Sinai peninsula from the Gulf of Suez and extending across the water to Tiran Island in the Gulf of Aqaba. While the park has beaches, observation points and campsites, Ras Mohamed is best known for its dive sites, including Jackfish Alley, Shark Reef, Yolanda Bay and the four reefs in the Straits of Tiran. Ras Mohamed was the first protected area designated in Egypt, and the only one with National Park status.

About 25 km up the east coast from Sharm El-Sheikh is the Nabq Managed Resource Protected area, which has one of the northernmost stands of mangroves in the world. Like Ras Mohamed, it has several dive and snorkeling sites, as well as the shipwreck of Maria Shroeder about 100 meters offshore. Nabq is also rich in plant and wildlife, and has designated hiking trails for nature-lovers.

Silvia Dogliani/IBA The Monastery of St. Catherine

Continuing up the coast, just past the city of Dahab, is the Abu Ghalum Managed Resource Protected Area, the smallest of the South Sinai protectorates. Abu Ghalum has hiking trails through the rocky desert hills and gravel beaches leading to rarely visited coral outcroppings. Dahab, part of St. Catherine’s protectorate, has its share of renowned dive sites like the Blue Hole and The Canyon.

One of the more popular overnight excursions takes you inland to the St. Catherine Protected Area to climb Mt. Sinai, believed to be the peak where the prophet Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. This moutainous inland protectorate was the locale of several Old Testament events, now marked by the Greek Orthodox Monastery of St. Catherine. The monastery, open for visitors three hours each day, has a special gallery showcasing 1,400-year-old manuscripts and icons.

Dana Smillie/IBA Many dive sites are good for snorkeling as well.

There’s more to the St. Catherine protectorate than just history. Bedouin guides can take you up Mt. Catherine, the highest peak in Egypt at 2,642 meters above sea level. It’s a six-hour trek up a groomed trail, rewarded by a view that stretches as far as Saudi Arabia across the Gulf of Aqaba. The Bedouins can also arrange camping safaris by jeep or camel through the protectorate.

The desert mountains that are the Sinai’s most striking feature conceal one of its most beautiful sights - the Colored Canyon. Not far from the coastal village of Nuweiba, this remarkably deep, narrow crevice was formed over the course of thousands of years, as water runoff from the peaks etched into the soft sandstone. Veins of purple, red, yellow and orange flow through the walls, which rise impossibly above you to reveal a splinter of blue sky. The Canyon can be arranged as a day hike or as part of an extended camping trip.

The 800-meter-long trek is no walk in the park, so after navigating up and down the rocks, you may want to take a break at Basata, about 20 km north of Nuweiba. This eco-lodge, extremely popular with Egyptians and expats alike, is all about the simple life, with Bedouin-style cafes and sun shelters along a stretch of beach. For overnights, you have your choice of a stone bungalow, a reed hut or just simply pitching a tent or sleeping bag right there on the sand. When the sun goes down, its just you and your friends under the stars as the waves play on the shore just a few meters away.

At the tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, Pharaoh’s Island lies just off the shore of Taba three hours up the coast from Sharm. Originally a crusader castle, the mammoth granite citadel was captured by Salah El-Din in the 12th century and remained on active military duty for 700 years. The well-preserved structure has everything you ever dreamed of in a fortress, from the crenellated ramparts your kids can race along to narrow archers slits with dramatic views of the Sinai mountains across the water.

Sharm El-Sheikh also has easy access to points outside the peninsula, with fast ferries going to Hurghada; Duba, Saudi Arabia; and Aqaba, Jordan. Or hop a plane to spend the day temple-hopping in Luxor or shopping in Cairo.