Magawish Island from Hurghada, the complete guide

Magawish (sometimes spelled Magawich or Mahawesh) is a small sand-and-coral island in the Red Sea about 10 kilometres offshore from the southern end of Hurghada. It sits at the north end of the Safaga reef system, separated from the main Giftun complex by a stretch of open water.

Unlike Orange Bay it has very little built infrastructure, no boardwalks, no swings, no full restaurant. The appeal is the opposite: a quieter beach, often almost empty, shallow turquoise water you can wade into for 50 metres, and a healthy reef just off the western side.

Most guests pair Magawish with Orange Bay or with the Dolphin House detour as a two-stop speedboat day, since on its own Magawish does not fill a full 8-hour trip.

By boat only. Departures are from Hurghada Marina. By a standard day boat the cruise takes around 45 to 60 minutes. By speedboat, 20 to 30 minutes. There is no scheduled ferry, so you book it as part of a tour.

Our speedboat trip can route to Magawish as an add-on (tell us at booking). The Orange Bay + Magawish combo is the most popular pairing, you spend roughly an hour at Magawish and two hours at Orange Bay.

Orange Bay wins on scenery and photos: the boardwalks, beach swings, and lagoon are unique. Magawish wins on quiet: at peak season Orange Bay has 200+ visitors at midday, Magawish often has 30-40.

Snorkeling is comparable. The reef off Magawish is a touch less colourful than the Giftun reefs near Orange Bay but is consistently uncrowded, which makes it feel better in practice.

For first-time Red Sea visitors we still recommend Orange Bay as the headline destination. Magawish is the perfect add-on for travelers who already saw Orange Bay and want a second different day at sea.

The reef sits on the western and north-western edge of the island. Visibility is typically 20 to 25 metres. Fish you will see: parrotfish, wrasses, surgeonfish, sergeant majors, the occasional pufferfish or moray eel hiding in the coral.

The island side has a sandy shallow lagoon that is excellent for swimming, including for non-confident swimmers. We provide masks, snorkels, fins, and child-size life jackets.

There is no dedicated standalone Magawish trip in our v1 catalog because most guests prefer the combo. The easiest way is to book our speedboat to Orange Bay and request a Magawish detour at checkout in the custom-request field, or by WhatsApp before booking.

A private charter is the cleanest way to do a full custom Magawish + Orange Bay + Dolphin House day. €450 flat for the whole boat, your group only, schedule built around what you want to see.