The Sinai Peninsula stretches from the northern coast where palm trees grow in between the dunes and swamp, to the beautiful beaches with white sand and coral reefs in the south and on the Red Sea coast. In ancient tiems it was known as Arabia Petraea. The peninsula has been part of Egypt since at least 3100 BC. It has been occupied by the Ottoman Empire from 1517 to 1867 and by the United Kingdom between 1882 and 1956. Israel occupied it after the war of 1963, but after a peace agreement was signed in 1978 it was returned to Egypt. The country's only oil wells are situated on the Sinai Peninsula. Most of the area consists of desert.

There are some sights that are worth a visit. One of them includes the St. Catherine's Monastery in the south. You can also climb 2285 m high Mount Sinai, the peninsula's highest point.

The peninsula's coastal waters boast beautiful coral reefs that are popular with scuba divers. Some of the main tourist beach resorts include Dahab, Naama Bay, Nuweiba and Sharm el Sheikh.

Most towns on the peninsula are connected by bus with Cairo and Suez.