Ras El Bar

Ras El Bar ("head of the land") is a historic seaside resort on a narrow peninsula where the Damietta branch of the Nile meets the Mediterranean, locally nicknamed El-Lesan ("the tongue") for its shape between freshwater river and saltwater sea. Founded in 1823 as a seasonal retreat for Damietta merchants awaiting favourable sailing winds, it grew through the late 19th century into an organized resort with its first civic street plan laid out in 1902. It became one of Egypt's most fashionable summer destinations in the 20th century — King Farouk was a regular visitor before his 1952 deposal, and the singer Umm Kulthum and composer Mohamed Abdel-Wahab both summered here and performed by the sea. Around 10,000 people live there year-round, but the population swells to several hundred thousand visitors during the July–September holiday season, drawn to its beach chalets, promenades, and fishing harbours.

By Plane

There is no airport in Ras El Bar; travellers fly into Cairo and continue overland via Damietta.

By Train

Ras El Bar is reached via the rail connection to Damietta city, then onward by road or ferry.

By Car / Road

Ras El Bar sits at the tip of the peninsula north of Damietta city, connected by road; a passenger ferry also crosses from Ezbet El Borg on the opposite bank.

The resort is compact and pedestrian-friendly, built on a 1902-era grid of straight streets; most of the town is walkable along its beach promenades.

The point where the Nile meets the Mediterranean — the peninsula's tip known as El-Lesan — is the town's signature sight, where freshwater river and saltwater sea are visibly distinct. The 1902 grid of the historic resort quarter, with its early-20th-century seaside villas and chalets, reflects the town's era as a fashionable summer retreat for Cairo's elite, including King Farouk and the musicians Umm Kulthum and Mohamed Abdel-Wahab.

Swim and relax at the Mediterranean beaches or the calmer Nile-side shore, and stroll the seafront promenade. Fishing harbours along the town offer a view of local boat traffic.

Cairo or the nearest major city.