Lighthouse, Dahab: dive site guide

Updated October 2026 · by Mohamed Fathy, PADI & SSI dive instructor in Dahab

Depth

5–25 m

Level

All levels

Entry

Shore (in town)

Area

Town

Lighthouse dive guide: what to expect

The Lighthouse Dahab, known locally as Al Manara, is the reef most divers meet first. It sits in a sheltered bay right off the town promenade, a few steps from the main street, so you can kit up, walk across the sand and be underwater in minutes. That easy access is why nearly every dive course in town starts here and why the shallows are often busy with students practising skills.

Don't write it off as a training pool, though. Diving the Lighthouse Dahab properly means exploring a gently sloping sandy bottom that turns into seagrass further out, with a reef wall on one side and big coral-covered pinnacles further north. The sand and seagrass hide the critters: seahorses and seamoths in pairs, crocodilefish lying flat on the bottom, and, if you are lucky, a frogfish that local guides like to keep tabs on near the swimming area. Along the reef you will meet unicornfish, sea bream, Napoleon wrasse and morays, and in summer a resident turtle often feeds around the slope.

There is also a quirky side. The Lighthouse has an underwater buoyancy park with props and statues, including an elephant built from old junk, which makes a fun target for buoyancy practice and photos. Because the slope runs from the shallows down to 25–30 m, you can dive the site many times at different depths and in different directions and still find something new.

As the sun goes down, the Lighthouse becomes the best night dive in Dahab. The bay is calm and the entry is simple, which makes it ideal for first-timers. After dark the reef fills with hunting lionfish, octopus, moray eels, squid, shrimps and crabs, and with sharp eyes you may find a Spanish dancer unfurling over the sand. Parrotfish sleep tucked into their mucus cocoons on the reef.

It is also the perfect check dive before heading north to the Blue Hole or the Canyon: shallow, easy and close to every café in town. Ask us for a relaxed sunset dive here, then walk straight up from the beach to dinner on the promenade.

Lighthouse dive map

The dive, step by step

1. Entry

   Walk in from the beach on the town side of the bay and swim out over the shallow sandy area, past the roped swimming zone.

2. Seagrass slope

   Descend gently over sand and seagrass to 10–15 m, searching for seahorses, seamoths, crocodilefish and the odd frogfish.

3. Reef wall north

   Turn north with the reef wall on your left and follow it toward the large coral pinnacles at 15–25 m. Recreational plans stay at or above 25–30 m.

4. Saddle and fan coral

   Continue past the pinnacles to the saddle, marked by a large fan coral and a coral garden, then begin your return.

5. Return and exit

   Head back shallower over the slope and the buoyancy park, make your safety stop at 5 m in the small lagoon area near the entry, and exit on the beach.

💬 Dive Lighthouse with me: send your dates

Conditions

Max depth

25–30 m (recreational); most of the dive is 5–20 m

Dive time

50–70 min

Current

Little or none; the bay is sheltered from the prevailing north wind

Visibility

Usually 15–30 m

Best time

Year-round, day or night. Best night dive in Dahab; the summer months bring the resident turtle.

Requirements

All levels, including try dives and Open Water courses (training depths apply); night dives with a guide

What you'll see

• Seahorses and seamoths
• Frogfish (seen on lucky days)
• Crocodilefish
• Moray eels
• Octopus
• Unicornfish and sea bream
• Napoleon wrasse
• Resident turtle (summer)
• Spanish dancers at night

Guide's tips

• The perfect check dive before the Blue Hole or Canyon
• Book a night dive here
• Ask your guide to find you a frogfish

Snorkeling at Lighthouse

Dahab's most popular snorkel spot, a sheltered bay off the promenade with the easiest entry in town and a reef wall full of fish.

Snorkeling guide →

Safety notes

• Busy shallows: students, snorkellers and swimmers share the entry. Ascend slowly and look up before surfacing.
• The sandy slope keeps going deeper; keep an eye on your computer because it is easy to drift past your planned depth while searching the sand.
• Entry and exit get harder when the sea is rough; ask your guide if waves are breaking on the beach.
• Lionfish and scorpionfish rest on the bottom; watch where you put your hands and knees.

Questions about Lighthouse