Mersa Matrouh lies 290 km. West of Alexandria and 222 km. from Sallum. The distance from Cairo to Matrouh is 524 km. It lies on a bay on the Mediterranean and is distinguished by its seven km. long beach, which-as all visitors have testified-is one of the most beautiful in the world.


The beach is famous for its white soft sands and calm transparent waters, for the bay is protected from the high seas by a series of rocks forming a natural wave-breaker, with a small opening to allow light vessels in.
This beach dates back to the days of Alexander, the Macedonian, when it was known as "Paraetonium" and also as "Amunia". It said that Alexander the Great stopped there during his historical expedition to pay tribute, and sacrifice, to the god Amun, at Siwa, so that he becomes Amun's son and his rule be a historical continuation of the pharaohs. There are ruins of a temple from the time of Rameses II (1200 B.C.) in Matrouh.