Although it is the capital of the Governorate of South Sinai, El Tor is quite small with a central market and a few shopping streets around it. Foreigners usually visit it only to extend their visa, but the town does have some charm and a couple of sights. The old town at the port consists of a few neglected and fenced off buildings and another few in better conditions. They are beautiful but need some effort to be saved. There is also a hot spring in El Tor, known as Hamam Musa.
A quiet street on the outskirts of El Tur, with Jebel Serbal in the distance.
| Getting there and around
El Tor is on the Cairo-Sharm el Sheikh road and is well served by public buses. There are also many shared microbuses and taxis to/from Suez and Sharm el Sheikh, and two daily to/from St. Catherine. Since El Tur is the place to extend visas some operators offer a taxi run from the coastal towns dropping off and picking up at the office.
See directory listing for: Transport
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| Accommodation
There are only a handful of hotels in El Tur, catering mostly for Egyptian and foreign officials, which tend to be a bit overpriced.
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| Food and drinks
There are several simple restaurants in the center around the market serving Egyptian meals and fresh seafood. There are also cafeterias and a few juice shops, but no place is serving alcohol.
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