Gurgussum is a white-sand beach a few kilometres north of Massawa, reached by a short taxi ride. It is the main beach for local residents and one of the best swimming spots on Eritrea's Red Sea coast — clean, relatively uncrowded outside weekends, and with water that is warm year-round. There is some basic infrastructure: simple shelters and a few vendors selling drinks and grilled fish.
The beach has the feel of somewhere that has not been packaged for tourism — just Eritreans relaxing by the sea. The snorkelling offshore is decent, with coral and fish visible in the clear water. Come early morning or late afternoon to avoid the worst of the heat; Massawa is reliably one of the hottest cities on earth, and midday on a beach here is genuinely punishing.