Called the gateway of hell, the Danakil Depression is one of the hottest places in the world and stretches from the north of Ethiopia all the way into the south-east of Eritrea. It’s an alien landscape full of hot springs, acid pools and salt mountains. It’s a weird mixture of green, yellow, orange and white colors all dancing in front of your eyes and home to volcanic lakes. The area was once part of the Red Sea and because of the many volcanic eruptions, there eventually was enough lava to seal the area off, creating this abstract bizarre landscape. Daily temperatures are around 34°, but can rise up to 50° and the area hardly gets any rain. It’s truly one of the biggest natural wonders in Africa, and coming here makes you feel like you’re on another planet. It’s a great addition to your trip to Eritrea and will give you the opportunity to take some really unique pictures. Needless to say you need to bring tons of water and protect yourself well against the sun.

Living in the middle of this strange place made of lava and salt are the Afar, who are mostly nomads: herding goats and camels or the ones who are in more fertile places cattle. The Afar who live near the coast are fishermen and also salt miners, which they use to trade with products from the inland. They live in light huts which are easily transported by camels so they can easily move around.

Our trip starts from Massawa and can be combined with any other tour. Contact us if you need transport to Massawa.

Day 1: We’ll depart early in the morning driving along the Red Sea to Annesley Bay. We’ll have several stops along the coast and we’ll have scenic views of Mount Gedem near Foro where we’ll have a stop before we’ll visit the ancient site of Adulis and Zula. Tonight we’ll stay in Ghela’elo.

Day 2: We’ll explore the Buri Peninsula, composed of lava flows and granite. It’s about 50 km long and 35 km wide with volcanic hills and a large salt-water lagoon in the middle, but there are mangroves and salt pans as well. We can find ostriches, baboons, gazelles, jackals and wild asses if we’re lucky. We’ll stay in Ghela’elo again.

Day 3: We’ll drive back to Massawa stopping near the Wongobo crater to get the maximum out of our trip and we’ll arrive in the late afternoon. Overnight in Massawa

Day 4: End of service
 
Includes:
– Transport during the whole trip
– Accommodation for 3 nights
– Professional local guide: English or Italian speaking
– All activities as described and entrance fees

Doesn’t include:
– Meals and drinks