Travel Guides
Dahab's Blue Hole: A Diver's Guide
One of the most famous dive sites in the world sits just off the road north of Dahab — a dramatic sinkhole with a serious reputation. Here's what it actually is.
A short drive north of Dahab, the Blue Hole is a submarine sinkhole around 130 meters deep, dropping straight down from the shoreline into water so clear its color shifts through nearly every shade of blue as the depth increases.
What Makes It Famous
Walk-in access from the shore, combined with the dramatic drop-off just a few meters out, makes the Blue Hole one of the most accessible world-class dive sites anywhere — no boat required, which is part of why Dahab built its whole diving identity around shore access rather than boat trips.
A Site With a Serious Reputation
The Blue Hole is also known, honestly, for a difficult safety history, tied specifically to "the Arch" — a natural tunnel connecting the Blue Hole to the open sea at roughly 55 meters depth, well beyond recreational diving limits and requiring technical training and equipment to attempt safely. Diving the Blue Hole itself, within recreational depth limits and without attempting the Arch, is a very different and well-established activity, done daily by certified divers of ordinary experience levels with a local guide.
The Three Pools
Just along the coast from the Blue Hole, the Three Pools are a series of naturally connected reef pools, popular for snorkeling and a calmer alternative for anyone not diving — clear, shallow water over reef without the Blue Hole's dramatic depth.
Diving It Safely
Dive within your certification level, always with a local guide familiar with the site, and never attempt the Arch without specific technical training. Recreational diving in the Blue Hole itself, done properly, is routine and well-established.
Where This Takes You