Wadi El Gemal National Park

A national park that runs from the Red Sea coast south of Marsa Alam inland through sheltered wadis to the ridges of the Eastern Desert.

Declared2003 StatusNational Park CoastlineOver 70 km Registered area7,636.7 km²

Written by Mahmoud Barakat · Reviewed by Islam Wael

About Wadi El Gemal National Park

Wadi El Gemal National Park is a protected area on the Red Sea coast of Egypt's Red Sea Governorate, south of Marsa Alam. Egypt's environment agency lists it as a national park declared in 2003, with a registered area of 7,636.7 km². It has over 70 km of coastline and reaches inland from the Red Sea through a network of sheltered wadis to the ridges of the Eastern Desert.

The coast holds coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds that feed the endangered dugong and green turtle. Five islands lie within the park and are breeding grounds for many of the 13 water and sea bird species, out of 45 bird species, found there; Wadi El-Gemal Island has the largest Sooty Falcon breeding colony in the world. Inland, the park protects the Dorcas gazelle and the Nubian ibex.

A short history

PrehistoryPrehistoric rock art testifies to the region's prehistoric past.
Pharaonic to Roman timesMons Smaragdus, the emerald mountain, is made up of around nine small mining communities dating back to Pharaonic times, and Ptolemaic and Roman remains are found across the park.
The AbabdaThe Ababda are the main indigenous inhabitants of the park. Livestock is their main livelihood, and at Qalaan village some still fish, perhaps the only remaining authentic fishing Ababda community on Egypt's Red Sea coast.
2003Declared a protectorate in 2003 by Prime Minister's Decree No. 143 of 2003, under Egypt's law on natural protectorates (Law No. 102 of 1983). Decree No. 1777 of 2020 amended it.

What you'll see

The wadis and the interior

The interior is jagged mountains and winding wadis. The Dorcas gazelle and the Nubian ibex live here and rely on the park's rare mountain springs.

Rock and desert

Reptiles are the most numerous land vertebrates in the park, with at least 25 terrestrial reptiles recorded in the Wadi El Gemal and Hamata area.

The Red Sea shore

Sandy beaches and bays on the coast, where mangroves, seagrass beds such as those at Ras Baghdai and coral reefs lie offshore. The seagrass is the only food source of the dugong and the green turtle, which also nests on the beaches. The reefs hold some 450 species of coral and over 1,200 species of fish.

Getting there and how the visit runs

None of our day tours currently stops in Wadi El Gemal National Park, so there is no routing from Marsa Alam hotels to show here. The park lies south of Marsa Alam on the Red Sea coast.

Before you go

What to wear and bring

Modest clothing away from the beach and resort areas
Sun protection and a hat
Comfortable shoes for sand and stone

Photos

Drones need permission from Egypt's Ministry of Defence
Ask before photographing people

Questions about Wadi El Gemal National Park

Where is Wadi El Gemal National Park?

On the Red Sea coast of Egypt's Red Sea Governorate, south of Marsa Alam. It has over 70 km of coastline and reaches inland to the ridges of the Eastern Desert.

What is Wadi El Gemal known for?

Its mangroves, seagrass beds that feed dugong and green turtle, coral reefs, five offshore islands, and desert wadis where Dorcas gazelle and Nubian ibex live.

Can you see dugongs at Wadi El Gemal?

The park's seagrass beds are the only food source of the endangered dugong, but a sighting is never guaranteed.

When did Wadi El Gemal become a national park?

It was declared in 2003, and Egypt's environment agency lists it as a national park with a registered area of 7,636.7 km².

Who lives in the park?

The Ababda are the main indigenous inhabitants. Livestock is their main livelihood, and at Qalaan village some still fish.

Does Egypt Day Tours visit Wadi El Gemal National Park?

Not at the moment: none of our day tours stops in the park. Our guide to Marsa Alam day trips lists what we do run from the town.

Sources: Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency; UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

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