Ain Soukhna (Ain Sukhna, Ein Soukhna, Ein Sukhna, Ain Sokhna, el-Soukhna) on the Egyptian Red Sea Coast (actually on the Gulf of Suez) has often been referred to as a town, but is really not. Ain Soukhna can be translated as "hot spring" and the name originates from sulfur springs in Gebal Ataqa, a nearby Eastern Desert mountain. It is a region that stretches from just south of Suez down the coast for about sixty kilometers, and mostly consists of a port along with a series of resort complexes, with a few independent restaurants, gas stations and other facilities scattered along the coastal road. It seems only natural for this region to be so developed, considering that it represents the closest beaches to Cairo, one of the largest cities in the world.
Traditionally, Ain Soukhna is a purely Egyptian retreat, only recently becoming an international destination. In fact, most of the the resort complexes consist mainly of vacation villas owned by Upper and Upper Middle Class Egyptians. However, many though certainly not all of the complexes also provide hotel accommodations. These range from rather quaint facilities for Middle Class Egyptians and probably some Europeans to International Five Star Hotels, which we may expect to see more of for a number of reasons. As an international tourist destination, Ain Soukhna makes considerable sense.
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