Nuweiba, or Nueiba, is a coastal town in the eastern part of Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, which belongs to the South Sinai governorate, located on the Gulf of Aqaba.
Location of Nuweiba City
Nuweiba is on the eastern coast of the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula. It is 70 km south of Taba. 180 km north of Sharm el-Sheikh and only 120 km from St. Catherine.
History
Historically, it is in the Asian Part of Egypt, and the area was inhabited by two different Ancient Bedouin tribes: the Tarabin to the north, and the Muzeina, some 8 km (5 mi) to the south. After the Six-Day War, when Israel occupied the area, a small town was established just 1.5 km (1 mi) south of Tarabeen, under a Hebrew name, Neviot (Hebrew: × ×‘×™×¢×•×ª). After the departure of the Israelis, former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak expanded a big touristic city. Mubarak constructed Nuweiba Port, some 7 km (4 mi) to the south. Several car ferries are now running to Aqaba Port by the Arab Bridge Maritime company every day.
Nuweiba castle (or Newibah castle), built on top of the remains of a still older castle in 1893, has been proposed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Geography
Nuweiba lies on a large flood plain measuring about 40 km2 (15 sq mi), sandwiched between the Sinai mountains and the Gulf of Aqaba. It lies some 150 km (90 mi) north of Sharm el-Sheikh, 465 km (290 mi) southeast of Cairo and 70 km (40 mi) south of the Israel–Egypt border separating Taba and Eilat. Also, the Egyptian government built Nuweiba Port in 1985 on the Gulf of Aqaba and served as a ferry port, facilitating between Jordan and Egypt.
Tourism
One km north of Nuweiba City, Tarabin village is well known for its Bedouin-style camps where cheap huts are available for rent. Further north, in the direction of Taba, is several other beaches with similar accommodation options. Between the town and the port is a strip of modern hotels catering to beach holidaymakers and divers.
Places of Interest in Nuweiba Town
Tarabeen Fortress
The Tarabeen Fortress is a small, ruined fortress located at Tarabeen in the northern part of Nuweiba. It dates back more than 300 years, though it is currently under an indigent renovation programme.
Tarabeen
Tarabeen is a small Bedouin village around freshwater wells on the northern tip of Nuweiba’s flood plain. Bedouins have probably been living here for several hundred years. Nowadays, along the beachfront, one will find a long strip of little camps, cafes and shops.
Nuweiba Town
Located in the northern part of the Nuweiba flood plain, the Israelis initially established Nuweiba town during their occupation of Sinai (the Israeli name for Nuweiba is Neviot). Then, Egyptians expanded it after they won back the Sinai. Thus, one sees two utterly different building styles in Nuweiba, the older single-floor bungalows of the Israelis near the sea with the more modern concrete style buildings; however, some of them are 2 or 3 floors high, spreading inland built by the Egyptians.
Nuweiba Town is home to the local government buildings, courthouse, police station, fire station, hospital, post office, telephone central, shops, cafes, restaurants and hotels. The most notable hotel in this area is the Nuweiba Holiday Village, built over 30 years ago by the Israelis. The oldest restaurant, Morgana, is close by, dating back to about the same time. Worth a visit due to its relaxed, albeit “touristy” atmosphere.
Nuweiba Port
Nuweiba Port is on the southern side of the flood plain and has always been a haven for shipping from any solid northerly winds due to the deep waters there. The government developed the port itself in the early 80s after Egypt won back Sinai from the Israelis. Now it has several car ferry sailings a day to Aqaba and back operated by the Arab Bridge Maritime Shipping Co. A town has spread around the port and includes banks, shops, cafes, duty-free shops, bus stations, post offices, telephone central. Worth a visit to get a glimpse of “real” Egypt.
Maizena
Maizena is a Bedouin village located on the southwest corner of the Nuweiba flood plain. It has been the home of the bedouin for hundreds of years, although the buildings are of an effortless and basic style. During the ’90s, it became world-famous as the home of the wild dolphin “Olin”, who sadly died in December 2004. A sleepy, “real” Bedouin village with surrounding scenery of extreme natural beauty.
Climate
Köppen-Geiger, a climate classification system, classifies its climate as a hot desert (BWh).
Most precipitation falls in February.
