El Gouna Webcam – Egypt’s Red Sea Kitesurf Lagoon

The El Gouna Webcam looks out from the beach at Makani Beach Club, a kitesurf center on the North Beach of El Gouna, across a shallow lagoon to the open Red Sea. A thatched sunshade frames the left edge of the shot, and a green launch mat in the foreground often has a kite laid out on it, ready to go up. Beyond the sand, kiters stand in the shallows at the water’s edge while others ride further out, and on a windy afternoon several kites hang in the sky at once. A rack of boards and kites fills the right side of the beach. The wind changes this picture more than anything else: a calm day leaves the mat empty and the water flat, while a strong day fills the frame with launching kites. On hot days a pale haze can soften the horizon.

About El Gouna and Makani Beach Club

El Gouna is a privately built resort town on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Hurghada and about 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) from Hurghada International Airport. It was created in 1990 and is owned and developed by Samih Sawiris’ Orascom Development. The town runs along 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) of coastline and is spread across 20 islands surrounded by lagoons, which is why so much of it sits beside calm, shallow water rather than open surf.

Makani Beach Club is one of several kite centers on those lagoons. Its name means “my place” in Arabic and “wind” in Hawaiian, and alongside the kitesurf and wing foil school it runs a beach bar, a restaurant and a fitness hub. The water in front of the club is very shallow over a wide area, with a sandy bottom and no coral, and the wind blows sideshore from the left. The kite travel firm Kiteworldwide notes that riding works at high and low tide alike, and puts kiteable wind at more than 70 percent of days in the year.

The town has picked up other credentials along the way. In 2014 El Gouna received the United Nations Global Green Town Award, and since 2017 it has hosted the El Gouna Film Festival every year. Its 18-hole golf course was designed by Fred Couples and Gene Bates.

Weather and Climate in El Gouna

El Gouna has a hot desert climate with almost no rain. The nearest long-term record, at Hurghada, logs just 7.9 millimeters (0.31 inches) of rain a year and more than 3,500 hours of sunshine. Winter is the mildest season: January days average 22 C (72 F), and nights drop to around 12 C (53 F). The sea is at its coolest then, about 21 to 22 C (70 to 72 F) in January and February.

Spring warms quickly, with April highs near 30 C (86 F) and lows around 19 C (66 F). Summer is hot, as July and August average 37 to 38 C (99 to 100 F) by day and about 28 C (82 F) at night, and the sea reaches around 28 C (82 F). Autumn eases back slowly: October still averages 32 C (90 F) by day and 22 C (72 F) after dark.

Things to Do Near El Gouna

Kitesurfing is the main draw on this stretch of coast, and El Gouna has more than one place to learn. Makani runs courses for every level, from beginner group lessons to private coaching, and rents and stores gear. Kite Power, set up in 2004, is the oldest kitesurfing school in town, and KBC El Gouna works a shallow lagoon of more than 2 square kilometers (0.8 square miles). For something slower, the El Gouna Sailing Club runs boat trips, sailing and rowing on the Red Sea.

Away from the kite beaches, the town has two marinas, Abu Tig Marina and Fanadir Marina, and Moods Beach Club sits at the tip of Abu Tig. Zouni Beach on Mangroovy Beach puts on kids’ activities and weekend sunset sessions, and The Smokery Beach, opened in 2016, was the first fully serviced beach in El Gouna, with cabanas, sunbeds and a children’s play area. Zeytuna Beach is another of the town’s beaches. Golfers have the 18-hole course, and Hurghada, 20 kilometers (12 miles) to the south, is the nearest city and the way in by air.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where is El Gouna located?

El Gouna is on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, in the Red Sea Governorate, 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Hurghada and about 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) from Hurghada International Airport. Makani Beach Club, whose beach the camera shows, is on the town’s North Beach, a few minutes by tuk-tuk from the hotels and the marina.

What can you see on the El Gouna Webcam?

The camera looks from Makani’s beach across the shallow lagoon to the open Red Sea. A thatched sunshade sits on the left edge, a green launch mat with a kite on it fills the foreground, and a rack of boards and kites stands on the right. Kiters wade in the shallows and ride further out, with their kites in the sky above the horizon. The town, its hotels and the marinas are not in shot.

Which kite center is this camera at: Makani, Kite Power or KBC?

Makani. The El Gouna Webcam belongs to Makani Beach Club, and the club’s logo sits on the player. Kite Power and KBC El Gouna are separate kite centers with their own beaches on El Gouna’s lagoons, so this is not their view.

Does the El Gouna Webcam show the Movenpick or Hurghada?

No. The camera faces out over the lagoon from Makani’s beach, so no hotel is in frame, the Movenpick included. Hurghada is 20 kilometers (12 miles) to the south and well out of sight.

What is the weather like in El Gouna?

Hot, dry and sunny. Going by Hurghada’s records, January averages 22 C (72 F) by day and 12 C (53 F) at night, April 30 C (86 F), and July and August about 37 C (99 F), with nights near 28 C (82 F). October is still warm at 32 C (90 F) by day. Rain totals under 8 millimeters (0.3 inches) a year.

When is the kitesurfing season in El Gouna?

Kitesurfing runs all year. Kiteworldwide counts kiteable wind on more than 70 percent of days at Makani, though the wind tends to come in cycles of a few windy weeks followed by a few calm days. The sea ranges from about 21 C (70 F) in February to 28 C (82 F) in August.

Is El Gouna good for learning to kitesurf?

Makani’s lagoon is a forgiving place to start. The water is very shallow over a wide area, the bottom is sand with no coral, and the sideshore wind blows from the left. The club runs group courses from beginner to advanced and one-to-one coaching with licensed instructors, and Kite Power and KBC El Gouna also teach on the town’s lagoons.

Source: Makani Beach Club