There are numerous day tips from Alexandria along the western coast of the Mediterranean. At Burg al-Arab, about 50km. From Alex, near Abu Sir, you can still see the walls of an ancient temple dedicated to Osiris. Climb the limestone ridge for views of Lake Mariout marshes and the sea. Take a walk to a Ptolemaic lighthouse (or Burg al-Arab), a scaled down replica of Pharos which was once part of a chin stretching from Alexandria to Cyrenaica along the Mediterranean coast. Burg al-Arab was built at the beginning of the century to resemble a walled medieval city and is situated a few kilometers away. The coast road, a further 60km west takes you to Al Alamein, an essential stop for anyone interested in military history. Here, Rommel and Montgomery fought the decisive battle in the Second World War's North African campaign. As well as a war museum and the Allied, Italian and German war cemeteries, Al Alamein has an excellent beach.