Colorful Rainbow wrasse fish in Thomas reef, Red Sea, Egypt.

© Anna segeren/Shutterstock

Thomas Reef

Top choice in Sharm El Sheikh


The smallest, but easily the most spectacular, of the Tiran reefs, Thomas is home to steeply plunging walls that are lined with soft coral, schooling fish and patrolling sharks. Depth: surface to more than 40m. Rating: advanced. Access: boat.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Sharm El Sheikh attractions

1. Gordon Reef

3.23 MILES

This large reef is fantastic for sealife spotting with banner fish, parrot fish, cornet fish and blue-spotted sting rays all flitting through the hard…

2. Far Garden

7.56 MILES

Far Garden is home to the 'Cathedral’, a colourful overhang in deep water. Depth: surface to more than 40m. Rating: intermediate. Access: shore or boat.

3. Middle Garden

8.01 MILES

Middle Garden reef features a fringing ridge that gently slopes down to a bed of sandy 'trails'. Depth: surface to more than 40m. Rating: intermediate…

4. Gardens

8.05 MILES

At the perennially popular Gardens there are actually three sites in one. Near Garden is home to a lovely chain of pinnacles; Middle Garden features a…

5. Near Garden

8.36 MILES

Near Garden reef is home to a lovely chain of pinnacles. Depth: surface to more than 40m. Rating: intermediate. Access: shore or boat.

6. Jackson Reef

8.63 MILES

Home to sharks and large pelagic fish, Jackson Reef is crowned with the remains of a Cypriot freighter, the Lara, which ran aground here in 1985. Depth:…

7. Tower

9.84 MILES

The wide canyon here houses coral-covered pinnacles where you'll spot plenty of nudibranchs and flitting lionfish. This dive site is also known for chance…

8. Amphoras

10.35 MILES

A good choice for a drift dive, this dive site gets its name from an Ottoman shipwreck found here which was carrying a cargo of amphoras. Not much remains…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "egypt/sinai/sharm-el-sheikh-and-naama-bay/attractions/thomas-reef/a/poi-sig/1429211/1316052",
      "destination": "Sharm-El-Sheikh",
      "continent": "Africa",
      "country": "Egypt",
      "city": "Sharm-El-Sheikh",
      "position": "superzone"
    }