In the coastal Egyptian city of Hurghada, the last free beach was closed, and with it the opportunity to swim for free in the Red Sea for both foreign individual tourists and residents. An expat living in Hurghada told about it.
According to her story published in her blog, many foreigners are surprised to learn that there are no free beaches in Hurghada at all. And this is a paradox since the city is stretched along the coast and increases mainly in length, not in width. “You have to pay for any access to the sea … If you want to relax in the evening on the seashore – welcome to the cafe. Order dinner and enjoy the sea air. If you want to swim, pay for the entrance to the beach,” the author said.
Here is an excerpt from the blogger’s story:
“Until recently, there was only one area within the city where you could enter through the fence and swim in the Red Sea for free. This is the “wild beach” at the Old Sheraton, opposite the Granada restaurant.
Even in the evening, when I sit in this restaurant, I watch from the window that on the “wild” beach, on the contrary, many Egyptians always gather, because you can see, somehow, here and there, lights flash. They are the ones who glow in the dark with their mobile phones. And, by the way, it is not known what they do.
And so the other day there was an order to completely ban entry to this territory. The fence was strengthened, and guards were installed. The last free beach within the city was closed. “Private territory, no entry” is written on the sign.
The author added that the news became resonant. A large number of dissatisfied people spoke against it on social networks. What is especially remarkable, among them were not only Egyptians but also Europeans who were indignant at the decision of the authorities.
“The government needs money to suck the blood of poor people!”, “It’s very sad,” local people wrote.
And here are the comments left by European tourists:
- “The sea does not belong to anyone, but to get access to it, you need to cross someone’s private beach, which means you have to pay. The only other place in the world where I was asked to pay for a beach was in France.”
- “I agree, at home, we don’t pay for the beach. You people say what is right and wrong in your religion. So this is haram (sin). Allah’s creations are free. You people are disgusting.”
- “Honestly, I agree, only in Egypt do I HAVE to pay, I don’t need a sunbed and umbrella, I can bring my towel and umbrella. All beaches in Europe are equally free. Only here we are milk cows, we residents have to pay a large fee for the beaches!”
- “This is the only country I’ve lived in where you can’t walk on the beach under the moonlight – obviously I know the rules about not getting in the water and I don’t talk about it. Walking barefoot on the sand and breathing fresh sea air can do wonders for the psyche. We have miles and miles of beach that no one can use unless they pay for it, it’s crazy.”
In turn, the blogger reasonably pointed out that “these nice people” forget that the money that private beaches receive from tourists is spent on security and daily cleaning of the territories. In addition, the closure of the beaches from free visits is a plus for Hurghada, since the coastline is under guard and there are no “unintelligible” people wandering around. In addition, the cost of the beach or dinner in a cafe is usually affordable for those who come to the sea. For example, in the center of Hurghada, on Sheraton Street, there are several budget public beaches. The entrance fee is only 40-85 Egyptian pounds, that is, 50-100 hryvnias. The price includes a deck chair with a mattress and an umbrella. You are allowed to bring your food and water.
The resort town is mired of garbage and waste. The expat drew attention to the fact that tourists themselves do not clean up trash on the beach in an unprotected area. Among the most common are bags, paper, food and even diapers. “They leave behind mountains of garbage, which is blown by the wind into the water. He is taken to reefs and he kills corals.
Are such unpolished public beaches acceptable in a tourist town? Of course not,” she said, noting that if a person doesn’t have the money to pay the minimum price to enter the beach, then most likely, they “need to go to work first and then lie on the beach.”