Road Trip: Cairo to the Red Sea in a Convertible

There is a stretch of road that every Egyptian car enthusiast knows: the long, straight run from Cairo east to the Red Sea coast. In a convertible, with the roof down and the desert on either side, it becomes something more than a drive — it is an escape. We left Cairo early, before the city fully woke, and headed down the Suez Road. The sky was a pale gold, and the air still carried the cool of the night. With the top down, the morning was a blessing. The first hour is the busiest, as trucks and commuters share the highway, so we kept a steady pace and let the convertible do the talking. Past Suez, the road opens up. The desert rolls out in every direction, empty and enormous, and the horizon becomes a clean line of heat shimmer. The engine settled into a relaxed cruise, and the wind filled the cabin. This is the heart of the trip — hours of open road, the radio tuned low, and nothing but time. We stopped at a roadside café for strong tea and watched the desert stretch away. The sun climbed, and the light grew brilliant and white. Convertible driving at midday is an art: we kept the speed up to keep the breeze moving, and the cabin stayed comfortable even as the heat rose. By late afternoon the mountains of the Red Sea range appeared, and the road began to twist toward the coast. The colours changed — ochre, then deep red rock, then the first glimpse of brilliant blue water. We pulled into the resort town as the sun turned the sea to gold. The drive back is a mirror image, but the memory is not. Six hours of open road, a car that loved every mile, and a coastline that rewards the journey. If you own a convertible, this is the run to make.