To northeast of Ethiopia, border with Eritrea is this hard and fascinating place called Danakil, concretely in Afar territory.

A totally unknown place and outside any tourist circuit in Ethiopia, given its difficult access and the unstable in terms of security there, as the region is sharing with Eritrea, sometimes there are really dangerous armed groups.

The Danakil Depression is a magical place, located below sea level, the temperatures that are in great part of the year surpasses sometimes the 50 degrees so that it is only possible to visit in the months of winter where the temperatures go around the 40 Degrees and is bearable.

Geologically speaking it is a gem, in fact the few visits that it receives a year are geologists, since in it is the volcano Erta Alé, currently active with imposing lava rivers, just to the north of the desert is the Dallol, where They find sulphurous lagoons of beautiful colors, it seems that you are in another planet.

In this place, even if it seems to be a lie, there is life, there is an ethnic group, the Afar, who, for hundreds of years, live in this terrible place, since here, given that it is under the sea and at its high temperatures, there is a gigantic salt It seems that it never ends, here the Afar, extract blocks of salt in a handmade way and on camels they organize carabanas to the town closest to 3 days walking, Mekele, where they sell them in the markets.

The Afar, people hard in character and very closed, difficult to deal with, but once you are several days, you contemplate their way of life, they open their huts to invite you to a tea and you can start a conversation.

I recommend going to the Danakil always with professional guides and very very good cars since if you have any problem, there you are lost and nobody will be able to solve it, but it is well worth the effort given the beauty of the place.