The Blue Hole is Dahab’s most famous dive and snorkel site – a deep sinkhole in the reef about 10 km north of town, where the turquoise shallows suddenly drop into dark blue water more than 100 metres deep.
The Blue Hole sits right against the shore, so you can step off the rocks and float over the edge of the abyss with just a mask and fins. Divers come for the famous Bells-to-Blue-Hole route; snorkellers come for the coral wall around the rim. It’s also a site with a serious reputation, and knowing why will keep your visit safe.
Quick facts
It’s a natural sinkhole in the fringing reef, roughly round, with a shallow opening on the sea side known as “the saddle”, only a few metres below the surface. Deep down, a tunnel called the Arch connects the hole to the open sea at around 55 metres – far below recreational diving limits.
Along the shore you’ll see memorial plaques for divers who died here, most of them attempting the Arch or diving too deep. They are a sobering reminder: the Blue Hole is beautiful and safe at the right depth, and dangerous beyond it.
The classic dive starts at the Bells, a short walk north along the shore. You drop through a narrow crack in the reef, follow the wall south with the open sea on your left, and finish by swimming over the saddle into the Blue Hole itself.
You don’t need to dive to enjoy it. From the cafés, steps lead straight into the water, and the coral wall around the rim is full of reef fish. Swim along the edge and look down – the change from bright turquoise to deep blue is the moment people remember.
Stay close to the reef, avoid the middle of the hole when there’s current or wind, and wear fins so you’re not tempted to stand on the coral. In winter a thin wetsuit makes a long swim more comfortable.
The Blue Hole is reached by road from Dahab – a taxi takes 15–20 minutes. Many people combine it with Ras Abu Galum, further north along the coast, reached by boat, camel or on foot from the Blue Hole.
The simplest option is a tour with pickup from your hotel: our Blue Hole snorkelling tour with lunch starts from $25, and the Ras Abu Galum and Blue Hole snorkel safari from $45.
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More than 100 metres in the middle. The famous Arch, a tunnel to the open sea, is at around 55 metres – beyond recreational diving limits.
Yes, with an instructor, in the shallow parts of the rim. The Bells-to-Blue-Hole route is for certified divers with a guide.
Yes. Steps lead into the water from the cafés, and the reef around the rim is one of the best snorkelling spots in Dahab.
Not at snorkelling depth or within recreational dive limits with a guide. The accidents behind its reputation mostly involved very deep dives and attempts at the Arch.
About 10 km north of the centre, a 15–20 minute drive.
Yes – beach cafés with food, toilets, shade and snorkel or dive gear rental.
Yes – even if you never dive. Snorkelling over the edge of a 100-metre drop is unlike anything else on the Red Sea, and it’s only a short ride from town. Go early, stay at your depth, and pair it with Ras Abu Galum for a full day.
Book this experience: Blue Hole snorkelling tour with lunch – hotel pickup in Dahab, from $25.
Snorkelling trips, desert safaris and Mount Sinai climbs from Dahab, with hotel pickup and local guides.
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