Marsa Alam sits pretty on the junction between the Red Sea coast road and the road from Edfu. This road from Edfu was built by Ptolemy II and is a treasure trove of ancient mines and quarries.

According to archaeologists, this road in Marsa Alam was actually a trade route between the Nile Valley and the Red Sea where the port of Myos Hormos used to be. The Romans used the ancient seaport of Myos Hormos near Marsa Alam to trade with India and East Africa.

The Wadi Hammamat in Marsa Alam is the shortest route between the Red Sea and the Nile River. This and the other Wadis like Wadi Barmiya and Wadi Miya in Marsa Alam were the mining centers of ancient Egypt and in fact of the entire ancient world.

Gold, iron and a variety of mining stones used to come from the surrounding areas of Marsa Alam. Wadi Hammamat was a rich store house for the beautiful green stone called Bekheny stone that would be used to decorate sarcophagi and even the insides of the pyramids, up to the end of the Roman period. Wadi Hammamat used to be quarried till the end of the 20th century.

The walls of the Wadi Hamamat are full of rock inscriptions that bear the history of Marsa Alam. There are scenes showing an ostrich hunt with dogs and even Egyptian hieroglyphics that go back into 4000 BC!

Emerald was highly valued by the Egyptians and most of the mining for this precious stone used to be around Marsa Alam.The famous Emerald Mines in the area surrounding Marsa Alam have recently been identified as the legendary Mons Smargdus, or the Cleopatra Mines.

Mangrove roots

Wadi El Gemal National Park:
  The Wadi-al-Gamal National Park is often visited. It is the third largest park in the East Arabian Desert and, due to it’s delta, it is counted as one of the most beautiful National Parks in Egypt. It was official opened in May 2005 and in it’s 7450 km2, it is home to a large diversity of plants and animals, measured by desert standards.
  The area of the precipitation surface amounts to 1840  km2 and reaches from the north flank of the Gabal Hamata in the south to the south flank of the Gabal Nugrus in the north. Further high mountains are the Gabal Hafafit, Gabal Hamamid, Gabal Sartut and Gebel Sikait.
  Other wadis also belong to the protected area, such as Wadi Abu Ghusun, Wadi ar-Ringa and Wadi ar-Rada. The borders of the terrestrial portions of the high land are from Ras Baghdadi, Ras Hankurab and the Scharm-al-Luli bay. Also integrated is a strip of sea with an average breadth of 15 km with four islands in the Hamata Archipelago and the Wadi-al-Gamal Island. Here, too, are worthwhile historical spots which go back to the Roman and Ptolemaic periods. The dirt roads should only be driven with vehicles with a generous ground clearance, four wheel drive is not compulsory but are recommended. Trips are offered from many accommodations.
  At the Wadi entrances the Bedouins have built a simple collection of huts from corrugated iron, material, wood and plastic. 

Before the animal world of the East African savannah became better known due to the Thomson and Grant gazelles, the Dorkas gazelle (Gazelle dorcas) was considered typical. Although it is the largest population in Egypt, with estimation of only 25-30 gazelles it counts as an endangered species. The IUCN classified the species as endangered.
Also classified as endangered, is the shy Syrian or Nubian ibex (Capra ibex nubiana).
The African (Wild) Donkey (Equus asinus syn. E. africanus) had already disappeared from large parts of it’s environment during roman times and is a severely endangered species in the wild.
The Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) is something between a goat and a sheep. The name Ammotragus is derived from the Greek word which literally means "sand goat”, the name "Aoudad” generally used in the English language derives from a Berber language.

Also integrated is a mangrove covered coast and the already mentioned strip of sea with an average breadth of 15 km with four islands also covered with mangroves in the Hamata Archipelago and the Wadi el Gamal Island which appear on the horizon. On the Wadi el Gamal Island is the largest colony of slate falcons (Falco concolor) worldwide. Breeding time is from August until September and in October they leave for Madagascar. Due to their small numbers they are already on the Red List for endangered species from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The island is also inhabited by a large breeding colony of 75% of the white eyed sea gulls (Larus leucophthalmus) with orange-red bills and pitch black wing feathers. These birds only breed by the Red Sea and in the Gulf of Aden and are also endangered. A small colony can be found on the island Giftun by Hurghada, 75% however, prefer the island with the same name by the Wadi el Gamal. Due to this their numbers diminish to the north. Both varieties are meanwhile classifies as endangered by the IUCN.

Camel in Wadi El Gemal protected area

Folk dancing of local people

Fustat Wadi El Gemal: 
 
 Fustat Wadi el Gemal is the first tented setup of its kind to be located in one of Egypt’s National Parks. True to its name "Fustat" or "Tented Camp", the whole setup consists of white tents, from restuarant, to kitchen and bathrooms.
 
 Wadi el Gemal, meaning Valley of the Camels, is considered to be the most aesthetic valley in the region with abundant vegetation and wildlife and a vivid history of nomadic settlers and ancient civilizations crisscrossing its winding routes.

Environment of the Red Sea floor south  Marsa Alam

Mangrove trees on foot of uplift coral scarp

Marsa Alam area map

Landscape of Wadi El Gemal Delta

Crystallized formation scarp south of Marsa Alam

General view of the Red Sea near Marsa Alam

Aeolian deposition on north scarp of Wadi El Gemal

General view of Qalaan coastal lagoon

Mangrove trees in Qalaan coastal lagoon 

Qalaan coastal lagoon

Qalaan coastal lagoon