el gouna specializes in watersports, including scuba diving, windsurfing, kitesurfing, waterskiing, parasailing and snorkelling. there are two main beaches: zeytuna beach located on its own island and mangroovy beach. a network of canals allows many houses to have their own strip of beach, there are three centralized areas in el gouna, housing shops, bars and restaurants: downtown. there are 18 hotels with 2,895 rooms rated from one star to five stars. el gouna has a fully equipped hospital that can handle many medical treatments including dentistry, plastic surgery, pediatrics, ophthalmology and general surgery. it also features an intensive care unit and a decompression chamber in case of diving accidents. the town hosts the el gouna international school, a campus of the tu berlin an environmental geographic information system and a small private airport for charter aircraft. location: conveniently located 25 kilometers north of hurghada, el gouna is only a four hour flight from europe’s major capitals. the town is easily accessed from europe via the nearby hurghada international airport and boasts a superb infrastructure and excellent services as well as natural beaches and year-round sunshine. el gouna management has worked hard in cooperation with local hotels, businesses, residents, and visitors to maintain, protect, and preserve its unique environment. the town’s environmental programs and grassroots environmental organization paved the way for several awards, including the green globe and travelife, and led to el gouna’s selection as the pilot location for the green star hotel initiative. italian architect, alfredo freda, designed el gouna’s attractive marina, the first of its kind on the red sea, as well as the popular and exclusive tuscany style hill villas. shahab mazhar, a prominent egyptian architect, was inspired by mediterranean influences in his creation of the beachfront white villas. the beautiful nubian villas are the work of the award winning architects ramy el-dahan and ahmad hamdy, who also hail from egypt.