Ain Sukhna is located about 55 km south of Suez. It is one of the most beautiful spots on the Red Sea riviera, and the one nearest to Cairo (1 hour by car).

Both a summer and winter resort, its sandy beach equals the best in the world and is suitable for camping. It is an excellent spot for water sports, fishing and underwater photography.

Ain Sukhna is Egyptian for "hot spring", denoting the nearby sulfur springs found at a nearby mountain, Gebel Ataqa. This region stretches from just south of Suez down the coast for about sixty kilometers. Scattered along the coast-hugging road are a port, a series of resort complexes, a few independent restaurants, gas stations, and other tourist businesses.

It is not surprising that this area is so well developed, since it represents the closest beaches to Cairo, one of Egypt’s largest cities.

Until recently, Ain Sukhna was mainly an Egyptian vacation spot, now it is an international destination. Nonetheless, most of the resort complexes consist mainly of vacation villas owned by upper and upper middle-class Egyptians.

Many, though certainly not all of the complexes, also provide hotel accommodations. These range all the way from rather quaint facilities for middle class Egyptians (and probably some Europeans) to international 5-star hotels.

Ain Sukhna is very convenient for the population of Cairo, and also for international tourists, particularly if a beach vacation is not the main goal of the traveler. Typically, classic tours of Egypt travel primarily along the Nile Valley, notably visiting sites in and around Cairo, Luxor, and Aswan.

Usually, when tourists want to travel to the Red Sea, they head for either Hurghada on the Egyptian Red Sea or Sharm El Sheikh at the southern end of Sinai. The problem is that this journey can take several hours. Both locations involve what is basically a short flight, but with baggage checking and all the other requirements of flying in today's security-conscious environment, your short trip can cost several precious hours of vacation time, yet it is not a bad way to go if you have the time to spare.

Another choice is to motor by bus from Luxor to Hurghada, about a five-hour trip. Unfortunately, though, these tours often have to join up with a security convoy, this can sometimes consume a lot of time to organize. Also, people often complain that these convoys travel recklessly fast. Nonetheless, this is probably the least expensive mode of travel to the Red Sea.

If sightseeing is your thing, Ain Sukhna should be your destination. If you're looking for some time at the beach, fly into Cairo and see a few of the sights, then travel on to spend a few days in Ain Sukhna.

Whether a beach vacation is your primary or secondary choice, Ain Sukhna does offer a convenient itinerary to several nearby sites. Just to the north is the Suez Canal, and a mere ninety-minute drive to the east will bring you to the eastern desert monasteries. There are also the more classical tours to places like Sharm El Sheikh, where you can prep for a visit to Catherine's Monastery and Mount Sinai - each an extraordinary experience.

In the eastern desert, you will find the Monastery of St. Anthony. It is the world's oldest functioning monastery, and was founded in honor of the saint given credit for founding monasticism. Fortunately, this monastery has recently been restored. Also, nearby is the ancient monastery of St. Paul. Furthermore, St. Catherine's is much further away from Sharm El Sheikh than St. Anthony's is from Ain Sukhna.

When planning your Ain Sukhna itinerary, you can schedule a visit to the Suez Canal and the eastern desert monasteries in the same amount of time required to visit only St. Catherine's from Sharm El Sheikh, with time left over at the beach - all at much less expense than a comparable Hurghada holiday. In fact, when compared to Sharm El Sheikh, most of the costs at Ain Sukhna are more reasonable, given equal facilities (such as 4- or 5-star hotels).