Studded with active volcanoes and explosive geysers, the Danakil – which drops to 116m below sea level, and frequently experiences temperature greater than 50°C is one of the most harsh and brutal landscapes anywhere on earth. For those few adventurous.
A geological depression caused by the continental drift of three tectonic plates, the Danakil Depression is one of Earth’s most unusual environments. Renowned as the ‘hottest place on the planet’ and home to salt lakes, lava lakes, volcanoes, and colourful acidic springs – it’s a wonderful, alien environment.
Acid pools and deposits of salt, sulphur and other minerals at Dallol
What to see ?
1.Lake Karum. Not to be confused with Lake Assal in Djibouti. This salt lake, one of three in Danakil, is 116 m above sea level and has a surface of 50 km2 (19 sq mi). Near the shore, the salt surface is hard enough to drive on, like a frozen-over lake. The salt flats are mined by hand, with the slabs of salt loaded onto to camel trains and taken to Hamed Ela, from where they are trucked to Mekele. Salt has been mined here this way for centuries.
2.Lake Bakili. Another salt lake, southeast of the former, and 40 km2 (15 sq mi) in size. This place isn’t often included in the tour itineraries.
3.Dallol volcano. For many the highlight on a trip to Danakil and sometimes referred to as the Yellowstone of Africa. This is an active volcano less than 100 m in height from the ground (the summit is still below sea level) and its crater is 1450 m across. The rock formations are made up of different salts, sulfur (yes, it smells like rotten eggs here), iron compounds and andesite, and the surroundings with their unusual colors may make you think you’re on another planet. The landscape got its current form in the last major eruption in 1926, though it’s by no means static, with small ponds emerging where the hot brine springs are.
4.Dallol ghost town. In 1918 an Italian company built a mining settlement to exploit the sylvinite (a potassium source) deposits in the region. They even built a railway to the Red Sea. After the Second World War, mining was ended and the railway was dismantled. The buildings made of salt blocks are still standing. You don’t get to visit the settlement, however it can be seen from a distance from the front side of the crater.
6.Gaet’ale Pond with geysers. A small salt lake south of Dallol with the second highest salinity of any lake in the world – 43%. It’s also a very young lake, as it was formed only in 2005 after an earthquake. The water temperature is around +50°C, and gasses released make the water bubble and create geyser-like outbursts\
7. Ertale volcano (Erta Ale volcano).The most active volcano in Ethiopia with the name translating to “smoking mountain”. The crater of this volcano contains a lake of liquid lava. It’s one of the few volcanoes worldwide with an active lava lake, and together with Dallol another top attraction in the Danakil. There’s a 2.5-hour walk to reach the volcano from the base camp. Lava flows can be observed from afar, and if it’s windy, smoke blows all over the place, decreasing visibility. The fact that the volcano is active means the shape of the crater and the level of lava keep changing. Hike up at night when it is not so hot with your guides and armed guards, view the lava lake in the dark, then catch a few hours’ sleep at the summit before walking back down before the day’s heat rises too far.
What to do ?
1. Swimming. Lake Afera doesn’t have a salt crust, and it’s possible to swim in it. Both locals and tourists do it, and the experience is reportedly similar to swimming in the Dead Sea.
