Can kids safely enter the water from the beach in Sharm El Sheikh, or is it better to swim only from the jetty?

In the first half of the day, at high tide, children can paddle near the shore without using the jetty. There is a small sandy strip at the waterline and just offshore, but farther out the bottom becomes rocky with remnants of coral.

According to a recent report, even when the sea looks calm with barely visible waves, the current can be very strong: one swimmer was swept nearly to the neighboring Albatros hotel within a minute, and people without fins struggle to stay in place while swimming.

Another visitor reports the opposite experience — no current at all, swimming freely back and forth between the left and right pontoons without fins.

One report notes that children typically swim near the shore in the first half of the day, while adults sunbathe on the beach to the right of the pier. At the so-called 'Italian beach,' the water is about thigh-deep in the evening; morning depth wasn't checked.

Take extra care when entering from the beach because sea urchins may be present. A guide warned guests that about 50 people had reportedly visited the medical point the previous week; children should not enter barefoot and should watch their footing.

The pontoon can have queues and crowding in the small buoyed swimming area. This may be uncomfortable for young children and weak swimmers; if using the pontoon, bring a life jacket or arm bands and supervise the child continuously.

One parent notes that the lagoons are considered an easier, safer option for swimming with kids — you can swim there from early morning even when a red flag warning is up.

There was an incident in April where a moray eel attacked a child in the lagoon and hid under the stairs, causing the lagoon to be closed for half a day until it swam away.

According to a recent report, the pontoon entry drops straight into deep water, which may feel unsuitable for children; the fenced swimming area is also quite small.

During a storm the sea can get very rough: strong waves have been known to sweep a children's inflatable play structure off the beach into the sea. In such conditions it's best not to enter the water at all, even if other people are swimming.

There's also the beach of an unfinished/under-construction hotel to the left, reached via steps down from the pier. Some say it's shallower and cleaner than the hotel's own lagoon, but access there isn't officially confirmed. The bottom is rocky with possible coral, and marine life (e.g. crabs) has been encountered, which can scare a child — worth being cautious, especially if your kid is afraid of sea creatures.

The villa section beach (which has an easier water entry) isn't always open to outside guests: there have been reports of a family with a child being asked to leave the area even though they weren't using any loungers.

Entering the water directly from the pier can be risky due to strong current: after climbing down, people have been pulled out and had to swim hard just to get back to shore. A calmer bay is at the neighboring Swiss (Swissôtel) hotel beach, which is more comfortable for swimming.

At high tide, swimming right by the shoreline is not recommended. For small children, the safer option is the jetty access point: on the right side from about the middle of the jetty there is a shallow sandy area suitable for paddling.

If entering from the shore, reef shoes are strongly recommended because the bottom is not comfortable or safe for bare feet. This is a basic safety measure even if children are only splashing near the edge.

Another option is to walk a little way along the pier to the lagoon. Before noon it can be fairly deep, but after lunch, when the tide goes out, the water often becomes around waist-deep.