Winston Churchill knew El Alamein's charms well, describing it as having the best climate in the world.

Those who fought and died in the battle are commemorated in several locations.

Site of a fierce battle between British and German forces in October 1942, El-Alamein now welcomes tourists from Egypt and abroad to its luxury marina with numerous Venetian-style canals and moorings set by a turquoise sea. The site’s history is not forgotten, however, and there is a museum as well as memorials to the 80,000 war dead.

Porto Marina : Stretching along 11 km of beach, Porto Marina is an exclusive complex reserved for the villas and chalets hidden amongst luxuriant plantings. The resort hotels offer a wide range of water sports, leisure activities and options for eating out. Porto Marina was opened in summer 2005 and its canals and luxury shops have now made it one of the hottest holiday spots in the Middle East.

Recent excavations beside the sea have uncovered a historic Roman villa and Hellenistic cemetery.

Battle of 1942 : October 1942 saw one of the most famous and bloody battles of the war in the desert. Around El-Alamein, the British troops under Montgomery, superior in numbers and equipment, defeated Rommel’s Afrika Korps. At great deal was at stake as they were fighting for control of the route leading to Alexandria.

Memorials and cemeteries : Those who fought and died in the battle are commemorated in several locations. The German Cemetery, built in the style of a medieval fortress, contains the remains of 4 200 soldiers. The Italian Cemetery is a mausoleum comprising a series of galleries. The Commonwealth Cemetery with its rows of war graves pays homage to British and allied soldiers including Greeks, Australians and South Africans.

Military Museum : This building displays documents relating to the Battle of El-Alamein and the North African campaign.