The Red Sea Coast and Farasan Islands

Saudi Arabia's long Red Sea coast is one of the world's great untouched underwater frontiers, its warm, clear turquoise waters harbouring pristine, vibrant coral reefs teeming with fish, largely undiscovered by international tourism. Among its jewels are the remote Farasan Islands off the southern coast, a protected archipelago of unspoilt beaches, mangroves and coral, home to gazelles and a wealth of birdlife, offering superb, uncrowded diving and snorkelling and a glimpse of traditional island life, with vast new coastal resorts also under development.

What you actually see

• The coral reefs - the pristine, uncrowded reefs and marine life.
• The Farasan Islands - the remote, unspoilt archipelago and its beaches.
• Diving and snorkelling - the clear waters and vibrant reefs.
• The wildlife - the gazelles, birdlife and mangroves of Farasan.

When to go

October to April, the cooler season, for the most comfortable weather, as the southern coast is very hot and humid in summer; the diving and snorkelling are excellent, and the Farasan Islands are reached by ferry, so check schedules.

Honest expectations

It is a frontier for tourism, so infrastructure, especially in the remote south and the Farasan Islands, is limited and basic, and reaching the islands means a flight and a ferry, so it is for the adventurous. The huge, luxurious Red Sea resort developments further north are new and evolving. As a conservative country, modest dress applies, including for swimming outside private resorts. The reefs, though, are genuinely pristine.

Nearby

The city of Jazan, the Asir mountains and the southern coast are within reach.