El Gouna desert and the Red Sea
El Gouna is a city that arises from a dream in the heart of the Egyptian desert overlooking the clear waters of the Red Sea does not have an ancient history like the big cities of the Nile but its origin is the same fascinating because it tells how an idea can change an entire landscape everything begins in the 1980s when the entrepreneur Samih Sawiris was looking for a refuge on the sea for his family from that small private nucleus of a house has begun the transformation of a desert. Arido in a modern and lively oasis and over time the project has grown to become a real city with different neighborhoods artificial lagoons channels and bridges that connect islands creating an environment that seems to have come out of an oriental fantasy
The story of El Gouna is made of architecture and harmony with nature because those who designed it wanted to avoid anonymous concrete and instead chose styles that recall the nubian and Mediterranean traditions low houses with warm colors in arc windows shaded alleys that intertwine with the blue of the lagoons all built to give the feeling of being in an authentic village even if modern has its own person. They recall the atmosphere of a fishing village others remember an Arab village others still have a more international and cosmopolitan touch
Over the years El Gouna has become much more than a seaside location here are organized cinema festivals that attract directors and actors from all over the world musical events that fill the squares of sounds of art exhibitions that tell local and international creativity and sports competitions that make its beaches vibrate is a city that lives all year round and not only in summer a community that hosts people from tens of different countries with its culture and its language here. they mix giving life to a unique mosaic
But the real strength of its history is the relationship with the environment El Gouna has been carefully built to sustainability using renewable energy by recycling materials and respecting the desert landscape so much so that it is considered one of the first green cities of Egypt this commitment is also linked to the sea because the red Sea holds coral reefs of extraordinary beauty that are protected with divers and biologists care together to keep a natural asset It is a source of life and legends for local fishermen
Today those who arrive in El Goun find a place that unites relaxation and modernity nature and culture you can spend the day to explore the seabed full of corals and colored fish and in the evening walk along the illuminated ports dinner in restaurants that offer Egyptian and international flavors listen to music watching a film under the stars or simply observing the sun that sets behind the mountains of the desert is a place that seems far from the hectic life but at the same time it is alive and at the same time Dynamic an urban experiment that has transformed sand and sea into a welcoming and cosmopolitan city
The story of El Gouna still continues today because it is not a closed chapter but a story in motion every year are added cultural spaces new artistic initiatives of sustainability and new communities of people who decide to live here is an example of how something lasting and extraordinary can be born from nothing where a place where the desert meets the sea and where modernity lives with the eternal charm of nature
El Gouna is not only a city built between the desert and the Red Sea but a place that lives on the sea and beaches every corner of its coast has a particular feature that makes it unique there are private beaches dedicated to luxury hotels with light sand and calm waters ideal for relaxing and there are beaches open to residents and visitors where you can breathe a more free and convivial atmosphere the lagoons that cross the city Swim or to practice water sports while on the outside where El Gouma overlooks the open sea directly there are the wildest beaches beaten by the wind that attract kitesurf enthusiasts from all over the world here the sky is always colored by sails and aquiloni and the energy is contagious
In addition to the sea, the daily life in El Gouna flows slowly and pleasant, the residents move with bicycles electric boats or small aquatic taxis that connect the different neighborhoods making each shift a quiet and suggestive experience there are local markets where to buy spices and crafts fruit and there are elegant boutiques with international products and creations of Egyptian stylists in the evening and the squares are animated with coffee and bar With their atmosphere, those who love sea cuisine find fresh fish cooked in a thousand ways those who prefer oriental dishes can taste Egyptian specialties while those who want distant flavors find kitchens from the Mediterranean to Asia
The community that lives in El Gouna is an integral part of its history there are Egyptian families who have chosen to move here for the quality of life artists and musicians who find inspiration in the calm of the desert and in the vitality of the sea professionals and travelers from dozens of different countries who work remotely and at the same time participate in the cultural events that animate the city is not only a place for tourists but a real house for thousands of people who have decided to build their own here everyday life
The days in El Gouma have a special pace in the morning you can start with a walk along the beach or a dip in the lagoons during the day alternate moments of sports such as snorkeling diving or boat excursions at the relaxing hours in one of the many private clubs in the evening instead is the moment of sociability with outdoor cinema concerts nocturnal markets or simple chatter in front of a tea at the mint the atmosphere is always sure welcoming and whoever arrives for A holiday often ends up returning or to stay
Even the desert that surrounds El Gouna is part of its magic a few steps from the city you can hike in the red mountains of the Eastern Sahara listening to stories of the Bedouins observing the stars in clear and silent skies that seem infinite this contrast between living sea and immobile desert is what makes El Gouna a unique place capable of offering adventure and tranquility at the same time
Ultimately the story of El Goun is the story of a dream actually transformed by a small refuge on the sea to a green and sustainable cosmopolitan city loved by those looking for beauty and peace but also by those who want a life full of culture and discoveries is a place that has been able to grow without losing its identity where the sand of the desert meets the blue of the sea and together they tell every day a new chapter
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