Alexandria, Egypt: Where Street Cats Rule and the Sea Smells Like History
There’s something wildly underrated about Alexandria. It doesn’t try to impress you with polished glam — it just exists, messy and magnificent, layered with history, sea breeze, and the kind of old-school charm that makes you slow down without realizing it.
In May, the Mediterranean sun is generous but not punishing, and the crowds haven’t rolled in yet. It’s warm enough to live in your sunglasses, but not hot enough to fry your will to walk. That perfect middle ground makes wandering around the city not just doable, but deeply satisfying.
Location, Location… Walking Shoes
Let’s talk home base: the hotel. It’s well-rated, close to both the beach and downtown — and affordable enough that your wallet won’t give you the silent treatment afterward. You wake up to sea air and city buzz at once. You’re a 5-minute stroll from the corniche (that long, curving seaside promenade where locals and tourists alike come to stroll, snack, and flirt) and an even shorter walk from downtown chaos — the good kind of chaos, full of honking horns, fresh-baked baladi bread smells, and endless tiny shops selling everything from spices to phone cases with pyramids on them.
The best part? You don’t need a car here, but renting one for a day or two is totally doable. Local agencies offer rates starting around CAD $30/day, and if you can handle the Cairo-style driving (pro tip: pretend you're in Mario Kart and don’t blink), you can explore beyond Alexandria — maybe even a coastal hop to El Alamein or a countryside escape.
Now… What’s There to Do Here?
Plenty. Alexandria isn’t trying to be Cairo or Luxor — it’s a little moodier, a little artsier, and unapologetically itself. The big attraction? The Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Yes, a library — but not just any. It’s a modern resurrection of the legendary ancient library that once held the world’s knowledge. The building itself is a stunner: sleek, circular, and etched with letters from every language. Inside? A museum, planetarium, and a vibe that screams “respect the books or suffer mysterious curses.”
Down the road is the Citadel of Qaitbay, built on the site of the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria (one of the original Seven Wonders of the World — RIP). The views from the fort walls are worth the ticket alone. The sea crashes dramatically against stone below, and you can almost picture ancient ships rolling in with spices, scrolls, and questionable fashion choices.
Then there’s Kom el Shoqafa — the catacombs. These are wild. Imagine a blend of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman death rituals mashed into one underground spiral of tombs, statues, and inexplicably chubby stone guardians. You’ll leave confused and slightly creeped out, but totally impressed.
Street Food, Sit-downs & Sweets
Now, the part that matters most: what to eat.
Alexandria is a carb-lover’s fever dream. Start with koshari — a chaotic bowl of lentils, pasta, rice, fried onions, and spicy tomato sauce. You can grab it for about 25 EGP (under CAD $2) from local legends like Koshary el Tahrir. It’s messy, it’s hot, and it will glue your soul back together if you’re jet-lagged.
Seafood is serious business here. Head to Fishawi or Samakmak — casual, no-nonsense spots where you point at the fish, and they grill it up with lemon and herbs. You’ll eat it with your fingers, ideally on a terrace facing the sea. Expect to pay around CAD $10–$15 for a hearty fish meal with sides. Worth every breadcrumb.
Feeling sweet? Try feteer meshaltet — a flaky, buttery pastry that comes either savory or dripping in honey and powdered sugar. It will 100% betray your diet, but who cares — you’re in Egypt.
Night Owls, Rejoice
Alexandria isn’t a party city in the club-rave sense, but it knows how to stay awake. Locals spill into cafés and shisha lounges around 9–10 PM. Some play dominoes and argue about football. Others sip strong coffee and talk love and politics.
Check out Trianon Café for an old-school vibe — chandeliers, red velvet, and a time warp straight to the 1940s. Or head to Délices, where you can sip Turkish coffee and eat pastries while pretending you’re in a Graham Greene novel.
If you must have cocktails, a few hotel bars and expat lounges offer drinks, but keep expectations chill. Alexandria’s nightlife is more slow-simmer than sizzle.
The Budget Breakdown (aka “How Much Falafel Can I Afford?”)
Here’s a realistic daily budget for the DIY wanderer, excluding flights and accommodation:
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Breakfast – Included in most hotels or under CAD $4 at a local café
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Lunch (Street food) – CAD $2–5
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Dinner (Sit-down seafood meal) – CAD $10–15
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Museum/Attraction entry – CAD $2–6
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Coffee/snacks/drinks – CAD $5–8
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Transportation (mostly walking, maybe a taxi or Uber) – CAD $3–6
💸 Total Daily Spend: CAD $25–40
If you throw in a car rental for a day or two, that’ll be about CAD $30 extra/day, plus gas (not expensive). But for most days, you’ll be on foot or in cheap cabs, high-fiving cats and dodging sidewalk juice vendors.
Final Thought from a Fellow Wanderer
Alexandria isn’t flashy, but it sticks with you. You’ll remember the salt in the air, the crumbling corners of old villas, and the man selling peanuts who always winks when you pass. It’s a place that doesn’t shout — it hums. You don’t just see Alexandria, you absorb it.
If your kind of travel involves wandering without strict itineraries, following your nose toward food, and collecting weird little memories instead of souvenirs, Alexandria in May is your kind of trip.
And hey — your friends will still be stuck in patio season while you’re sipping hibiscus juice next to Cleopatra’s ghost.
Now that’s what I call good planning. Or at least very lucky procrastination.
