Danakil Depression in Ethiopia 2024-2025

Visit the 'Mars on Earth' at the meeting point of three tectonic plates in northeastern Ethiopia

Best time: November–February

The hottest place on Earth by year-round temperature, the Danakil Depression is beautiful in an other-worldly way. If you endure its heat and dryness, the amazing plains and colorful rock formations surrounding hot springs will leave you in awe.

The Danakil Depression was created by the separation of three tectonic plates in the Horn of Africa. It's nestled between the Afar Region, the Ethiopian Plateau, and the Danakil Alps region and occupies an area of 200 by 50 km (124 by 31 mi). The best time to visit the Danakil area is from November to February when temperatures are mild, and it's not too dry.

Visitors often come to see the fantastic Dallol cinder cone volcano and the Yellow Lake, located northeast of the Erta Ale Range. The place that resembles Yellowstone National Park features dozens of hot springs filled with brine and acidic liquids. The Dallol crater is one of the lowest known volcanic vents in the world, located at 48 m below sea level. Mountains of sulfur, pillars of salt, rising up to 40 m, small gas geysers, and pools of acid isolated by salt ridges make the place visually striking.

The volcano last erupted in 1926 and remained effectively unknown to most of the world until recently. At the edge of the crater, there is the village of Dallol. It's become abandoned, but it used to be a busy area for mining potash, sylvite, and salt.

Very few plants can survive in Danakil due to the average temperature of 34 °C year round (about 50°C in summer). This area receives about 100 millimetres (4 inches) of rain per year. The plain lying at 125 m (410 ft) below sea level is one of the lowest places on the planet. It has become a Mecca for geologists and paleoanthropologists since 1974 when the 3-million-year-old remains of Australopithecus called Lucy were found here.

The Danakil Depression is home for Afar ethnic group. Their primary income is extracting salt and selling it at the market. Salt merchants travel to Dallol to collect minerals which are later transported by camels to Ethiopian highlands and on to Sudan. The salt fields produce almost 100 % of Ethiopia’s salt. Nomadic tribesmen are known for their hostility to strangers. Not surprisingly, the area got the name of “the Gateway to Hell.” Despite these obstacles, the dazzling colors seen at the site (white yellow, green and red ocher, due to the strong presence of sulfur, iron oxide, salt and other minerals) are hard to resist and a few hundred adventurous people head there each year in an organized expedition by operators.

Practical info

When should tourists plan a visit to Danakil Depression?

Tourists should plan a trip to Danakil Depression between November and February due to comfortable weather conditions. The summer temperatures may go as high as 50°C, so it is advised to choose cooler months to visit. The area has an average daytime temperature of 34°C, and the recommended time to explore the Danakil Depression is during the winter months.

What is the location of the Danakil Depression, and what are its neighboring regions?

Danakil Depression is located in northeast Ethiopia, close to the Djibouti and Eritrea borders. The neighboring regions of Danakil Depression are the Danakil Alps region, the Ethiopian Plateau, and the Afar Region. This area spreads across an area of 124 by 31 mi (200 by 50 km), and it contains the lowest point in Africa with an elevation of 125 meters (410 feet).

How did Danakil Depression originate?

Danakil Depression originated due to the African, Arabian, and Somali tectonic plates separating from each other at 1-2 cm per year. The depression came into existence when these plates began to give way. The geological phenomena created volcanic and geothermal features like steaming vents, geysers, and salt flats in the region over time.

What makes the Dallol cinder cone volcano distinct from other volcanoes?

The Dallol cinder cone volcano is one of the unique characteristics of Danakil Depression because of its location 48 m below sea level, making it one of the world's lowest volcanic vents. The region has multiple hot springs filled with acidic liquids and brine, sulfur mountains, salt pillars, and gas geysers, similar to Yellowstone National Park. Minerals like iron oxide, sulfur, and salt lend distinctive hues of green, white, red ocher, and yellow to the area.

What is the occupation of the Afar tribespeople in the Danakil Depression?

Afar people are an ethnic group living in the Danakil Depression and earn their living by extracting and trading salt. They have been involved in salt-mining occupations for several centuries, and the Danakil area produces nearly all of Ethiopia's salt. Salt mining sites are located in Djibouti's Lake Asal area, and merchants travel to Dallol to gather minerals, transport them through camels to Ethiopia's highlands and later to Sudan. These nomadic people are infamous for their hostility to visitors.