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1 city
Province · Alexandria and the Mediterranean Coast
Matrouh
Matrouh, the west coast of the Mediterranean: the beaches of Marsa Matruh, the El Alamein memorials and, in the desert, the Siwa oasis.
In the photo: Cliffs and Mediterranean waters at Agiba Beach, near Marsa Matruh.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
The province
Get to know Matrouh
Matrouh stretches from west of Alexandria to the border with Libya, along a strip of Mediterranean coast and a large part of the Western Desert. The capital is Marsa Matruh, a seaside city with clear-water beaches popular with Egyptian holidaymakers in summer.
On the coast, between Alexandria and Marsa Matruh, are El Alamein and the resorts of the North Coast. In El Alamein, decisive battles of World War II were fought in 1942 in North Africa. The Commonwealth cemetery, the German and Italian memorials, and the El Alamein Military Museum commemorate those battles.
To the south, about 300 km from Marsa Matruh across the desert, is the Siwa oasis, near the Qattara Depression. Siwa has palm trees, olive trees, salt lakes and springs, and its own language, Siwi, of Berber origin. The old town of Shali, made of mud and salt, and the Temple of the Oracle of Amun, where Alexander the Great is said to have consulted the oracle, are at the center of the oasis.
In Siwa you sleep in mud houses and hotels, swim in springs such as Cleopatra’s, and go out in 4x4 vehicles to the dunes of the Great Sand Sea, which begins near the oasis.
Destinations
2 destinations in Matrouh
Cities
3 cities in Matrouh in the guide
Matrouh
Capital
Marsa Matruh
A port city on Egypt’s western coast, halfway between Alexandria and the border. In Antiquity it was called Paraetonium and was a transit port for Egyptian grain bound for Rome. It has a bay with calm water and white‑sand beaches, like Agiba to the west, popular with Egyptian holidaymakers in summer, and is the starting point of the road to Siwa.
Matrouh
El Alamein
City on the Mediterranean coast, about 105 km west of Alexandria, in Matrouh Governorate. It was the scene of the 1942 battles between the Allies and the Axis in North Africa, remembered by the Commonwealth cemetery, the German and Italian memorials, and the military museum. The surrounding North Coast has resorts that open mainly in summer.
Matrouh
Siwa
Oasis town that grew around the ruins of Shali, with a market square, streets of mud-brick and karshif houses, and donkey-drawn carts. A few kilometers away are the ancient sites, springs and the oasis’s salt lakes.
When to go
On the coast, the beach season runs from June to September, when the resorts fill up. In Siwa, days are more pleasant from October to April; in summer the heat is intense, and in winter the nights are cold. The date harvest, from September to November, is a busy time in the oasis.
Getting there
Marsa Matruh has an airport (MUH), with flights mainly in summer, and El Alamein also has one (DBB). By the coastal road, Marsa Matruh is about 290 km from Alexandria, served by buses. The road to Siwa leaves Marsa Matruh to the south, roughly 300 km across the desert, with buses and cars with drivers.
Your questions
Frequently asked questions about Matrouh
How do you get to the Siwa oasis?
By road, from Marsa Matruh on the coast: it’s about 300 km across the desert, by bus or with a driver. From Cairo, the trip goes via Alexandria or the North Coast and takes the whole day.
How many days should you allow for Siwa?
Two to three days allow you to see Shali, the Oracle of Amun, Cleopatra’s spring, the salt lakes and take a dune outing. Because of the distance, it’s worth adding travel time for the round trip.
What is there to see in El Alamein?
The Commonwealth cemetery, the German and Italian memorials, and the Military Museum, which tell the story of the 1942 World War II battles. El Alamein is about 105 km from Alexandria, on the coast.
When is the beach season in Marsa Matruh?
From June to September, when the water is warmer and the city receives many Egyptian holidaymakers. Outside that period the town is quiet and some services close.