A visit to the Alexandria resort of Agamy still has the power to delight the senses and refresh the soul, writes Ameera Fouad sometimes associated with the 1960s and 70s, the resort of Agamy in Alexandria is still the place to go in summer, still the place of sun and fun. It offers solace for the old and the buzz of excitement for the young. Agamy went through a renaissance in the 1980s and 90s and gained a reputation for glamour that no other resort could compete with. Most Alexandrians, and a great many Cairenes, would go there, particularly during the height of summer. However, from the mid-1990s onwards Agamy began to have rivals in the shape of the tourist villages and resorts established along Egypt's North Coast and facing the Mediterranean Sea. As a result, Agamy lost some of its charm, and its golden sands and crystal-clear blue waters began to lose their freshness. As if to add insult to injury, Agamy also grew to take in some of the surrounding areas, becoming almost a town in its own right. The resort lost some of its protected character, becoming almost like any other suburb of Alexandria. Agamy began to suffer from the familiar problems of many Egyptian towns -- failing drainage, broken pavements and bargain hunters. A resort that had once hosted Egypt's beau monde, reveling in the seaside picnics, the spotless seashore, the nightclubs, and all the sleepless nights that go with them, suddenly found itself outclassed by new North Coast resorts. Agamy could hardly compete with the Marina resort, with its private areas, beautiful sea views and water sports, including sea-parachuting, scuba diving and almost every kind of activity for kids, from banana boat riding to water skiing. Agamy seemed fated to decline, faced with such powerful competition for summer holidaymakers. Yet, though Agamy's recent past has been an uncertain one, with the resort sometimes fighting to survive faced with the new competition it has faced and other problems, Agamy today is once again booming, having all kinds of cafés and restaurants, beautiful beaches and seemingly endless nightclubs. No one can visit Agamy without visiting the Paradise Beach, the Shutt Al-Fardous as it is called in Alexandria. One of the oldest beaches in Agamy, if not in Egypt as a whole, a ticket to the Paradise Beach costs almost nothing when compared to the prices of some other private beaches, and none of the latter give the feeling that is so special about the Paradise Beach -- the feeling that you are indeed in paradise as soon as you walk onto it. Surrounded by heritage villas, white blocks against the surrounding scenery, holidaymakers on Paradise Beach can enjoy the salty breeze of the sea, forgetting all the problems of everyday life as if breathing air from heaven. If you are afraid of the strong waves that hit Agamy's beaches, you can always sit on the beach and gaze out over the Mediterranean Sea and across the golden sands towards the sunset. Agamy's sands have their own charm for young and old alike, and even ordinarily serious older men have been known to spend their time playing volleyball and other games and building sand castles on the beach like children. Whether young, old or middle aged, you will always find something to do, to enjoy and be excited about in Agamy, a resort that has survived and is still very much ometimes associated with the 1960s and 70s, the resort of Agamy in Alexandria is still the place to go in summer, still the place of sun and fun. It offers solace for the old and the buzz of excitement for the young. Agamy went through a renaissance in the 1980s and 90s and gained a reputation for glamour that no other resort could compete with. Most Alexandrians, and a great many Cairenes, would go there, particularly during the height of summer. However, from the mid-1990s onwards Agamy began to have rivals in the shape of the tourist villages and resorts established along Egypt's North Coast and facing the Mediterranean Sea. As a result, Agamy lost some of its charm, and its golden sands and crystal-clear blue waters began to lose their freshness. As if to add insult to injury, Agamy also grew to take in some of the surrounding areas, becoming almost a town in its own right. The resort lost some of its protected character, becoming almost like any other suburb of Alexandria. Agamy began to suffer from the familiar problems of many Egyptian towns -- failing drainage, broken pavements and bargain hunters. A resort that had once hosted Egypt's beau monde, reveling in the seaside picnics, the spotless seashore, the nightclubs, and all the sleepless nights that go with them, suddenly found itself outclassed by new North Coast resorts. Agamy could hardly compete with the Marina resort, with its private areas, beautiful sea views and water sports, including sea-parachuting, scuba diving and almost every kind of activity for kids, from banana boat riding to water skiing. Agamy seemed fated to decline, faced with such powerful competition for summer holidaymakers. Yet, though Agamy's recent past has been an uncertain one, with the resort sometimes fighting to survive faced with the new competition it has faced and other problems, Agamy today is once again booming, having all kinds of cafés and restaurants, beautiful beaches and seemingly endless nightclubs. No one can visit Agamy without visiting the Paradise Beach, the Shutt Al-Fardous as it is called in Alexandria. One of the oldest beaches in Agamy, if not in Egypt as a whole, a ticket to the Paradise Beach costs almost nothing when compared to the prices of some other private beaches, and none of the latter give the feeling that is so special about the Paradise Beach -- the feeling that you are indeed in paradise as soon as you walk onto it. Surrounded by heritage villas, white blocks against the surrounding scenery, holidaymakers on Paradise Beach can enjoy the salty breeze of the sea, forgetting all the problems of everyday life as if breathing air from heaven. If you are afraid of the strong waves that hit Agamy's beaches, you can always sit on the beach and gaze out over the Mediterranean Sea and across the golden sands towards the sunset. Agamy's sands have their own charm for young and old alike, and even ordinarily serious older men have been known to spend their time playing volleyball and other games and building sand castles on the beach like children. Whether young, old or middle aged, you will always find something to do, to enjoy and be excited about in Agamy, a resort that has survived and is still very much
