Coral Island

Coral Island, also called Geziret Phera'un, is a small island just of the coast, 5 km south of Taba. There is a ferry going back and forth.

It is believed to be an ancient Phoenician Port of Eziangaber, founded by King Hiran of Tyre in the 10th century B.C. The castle was built by Crusaders at the beginning of the 12th century AD on the remains of a Byzantine settlement. In 1182 sultan Saladin seized the island, and enlarged the castle to protect the pilgrim caravans.

Not far south of Coral Island is the picturesque inlet with turquoise waters, called the Fjord. A very nice place to spend a few hours. Overlooking the Fjord is a coffee shop where you can get refreshments.

There are two theories about the origin of the Fjord:

1. It originated in a geological fault
2. It was once a river valley that was gradually inundated by the sea

There are a large amount of the plant species Cymodocea in the Fjord, a plant that originally grew on dry land, but was forced into a marine habitat due to climatic change and a struggle to survive against stronger species.