What to do when red flag (no swimming) is raised at your Egypt hotel beach?

At the Sea Gate hotel, the pier is often open in the mornings, even in winter. There's also a lagoon to the left of the pontoon with a sandy bottom and shallow water where you can splash around even when the red flag is up.

Based on late September–early October experience: before lunch the yellow/red flag was rarely raised, though it happened a couple of times; after lunch red flag sometimes appeared right away, but usually turned to yellow again within 1–1.5 hours. There's no reliable fixed schedule — it varies day to day.

The sunbed beach area is always open for sunbathing. The pontoon is usually closed until lunchtime due to the red flag. There's a small spot on neighboring hotel territory that's accessible, where you can stand about waist-deep in water even when the red flag is raised.

If the red flag is up in the morning, it’s worth heading to the beach only in the afternoon; according to a recent report, conditions are usually calmest closer to 4:00 PM, as the sea tends to settle toward evening.

The red flag is typically raised due to morning wind, but it usually dies down around 10–11 AM. When the flag is up, swimming is permitted in shallow water close to shore.

In early June over a ten-day stay, the red flag was raised twice, each time for about an hour around lunchtime. A practical approach: use that window to visit the restaurant — by the time you return, the sea is open again.

The red flag only prohibits swimming in open water from the pier. Swimming from the shore is always allowed — good for children and those who prefer shallow water.

Swimming near this hotel's pier is always possible — even at low tide and when the red flag is up. Neighboring piers raise the red flag, but this one typically does not.

During the red flag with high tide, the shallow water near shore is actually pleasant for swimming and spotting fish — a worthwhile alternative to open-sea swimming.

In late May, the red flag was raised twice. The practical solution was moving to a neighboring hotel's beach, where conditions were much better. It helps to set up on sun loungers closer to that hotel in advance.

The red flag goes up every morning — this is a regular pattern. Swimming is typically allowed again after midday. A short walk to the right leads to a calmer, deeper spot by a neighboring hotel where you can swim even when the flag is raised.