SHARM EL LULI (RAS HANKORAB)

Paradise (AKA Sharm El Luli or Ras Hankorab) is located some 60 km south of Marsa Alam town – about half way to Berenice – that’s if you believe the hype surrounding this remote sandy beach and lagoon.

For GPS anoraks it’s located at approximate coordinates 24.56 North and 35.16 East which, as you can see from the satellite image at the bottom of the page, is exactly the middle of nowhere.*

And that’s half the attraction – “It’s a pristine fine as talc white sandy beach that puts the Maldives in the shade” – tout the sales reps – “No it’s not.  Its’ sands are pale yellow and some Caribbean beaches are better,” whinge a few dissatisfied tourists who appear mortified that their fellow travellers have ranked it number one of 419 “things to do in Marsa Alam” (as at the time of writing – 04.05.2025).

*While I, like most people, use the names “Sharm El Luli” and “Ras Hankorab” interchangeably throughout this guide, they are technically two separate spots on the map, though very close to each other. The headland, beach and lagoon at Ras Hankorab (found around 24.56N, 35.16E) lies just 7 km south of the inlet called Sharm El Luli (around 24.61N, 35.11E). Locals and tour operators typically use either name interchangeably to refer to this short, but breathtakingly beautiful, stretch of coastline which is of enormous ecological interest and importance.