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The three beaches around Matrouh's crescent-shaped bay are separated by a litter-strewn swathe and a small port further east. Beyond this, a spit of land curves around to face the town, rimmed on the landward side by Rommel's Beach . The Desert Fox supposedly bathed here in between plotting the Alam Halfa offensive from a nearby cave, now turned into a small Rommel Museum (daily 10am-5pm; £E1). His maps, desk and greatcoat (donated by his grandson, Manfred) are among the exhibits, which carry amusing captions like: "Rommel was the professor of contemporary military leaders to the extent that he was in every place at the same time".

Having ruined Lido Beach , curving west around the bay, litterbugs are doing the same to the Beach of Lovers ( Shahata al-Gharam) on its western horn. Further west (roughly 7km from town) lies the cleaner, windier Cleopatra Beach , which drops away sharply a metre offshore. Across the dunes on its far right-hand side is Cleopatra's Bath , a hollow rock whirlpool bath where she and Mark Antony reputedly frolicked. Outside of the bath, heavy surf and sharp, slippery rocks make this a bad place to swim. The road to these beaches is a continuation of the Corniche, which turns south at the end of Lido Beach and then winds its way westwards.