Tourism in North Sinai Governorate

El Arish is the administrative capital of ‎the governorate of North Sinai and the largest city in the Sinai Peninsula. Renowned for its abundance of palm trees along the white sandy beaches, El Arish coast extends for 10 kilometers from the east to the west. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, it features amazing balmy weather most of the year, but to really enjoy the sea one better avoid the rainy winter months. If you happen to visit El Arish, make sure to check the Sinai Heritage ‎Museum, which is the only museum ‎dedicated to the culture of the nomads and Bedouins of Sinai. ‎

Lake Bardawil is a very saline lagoon by the Mediterranean coast, it extends for about 30 kilometers long, and 14 kilometers wide. Large as it may be, the lake is quite shallow, reaching a depth of about 3 meters. It is separated from the Mediterranean Sea by a narrow sandbar that ranges in width between 100 m and 1 km. Six endangered species of fauna can be found at Bardawil lake, four of which are endemic including Iris Mariae and Bellevalia Salah-Eldin.

Situated at the eastern end of Lake Bardawil, 30 kilometers west of the center of ‎the city of El Arish, The Zaranik protected area is the least polluted wetland in Egypt and one of the least polluted sites in the entire Mediterranean region. It is home to Egypt’s first bird observatory. the Protected Area of Zaranik is a major wintering area for large numbers of birds and an important spawning ground for fish. Two hundred and forty-four different bird species have been officially sighted in Zaranik, including swans, ducks, herons, falcons, ‎quail, buzzard, lunar, crow, hoopoe, and rubella. ‎