Sinai Colored Canyon

Millions of years ago, Sinai was covered by the sea, and nowhere has the ancient ocean left a more brilliant legacy upon the landscape than at the Colored Canyon, near Nuweiba.

 

A visit to the canyon provides instant recognition of where it gets its name. The walls of the canyon, which reach up to sixteen stories, are easily the most colorful and intriguing rock formations in all of Sinai. They were created by the erosion of water upon sandstone and limestone. In some places the deep coloration of rocks gives the canyon walls a prismatic and metallic sheen; in others, the stone is so smooth that it appears soft and pillowy.

The canyon mouth is accessible by car, and its short length (about 700 meters) makes for perfect hiking. As one ventures into the canyon, the walls narrow in width to just a few feet in some places, giving the channel a close and secretive atmosphere. The canyon is most commonly compared to the Jordanian city of Petra, although here the spectacle is completely natural.