Known as the “land of death”, this is the hottest place on earth, with temperatures soaring up to 50C. It’s certainly not a location where you’d want to forget your sunscreen.
The landscape is otherworldly, with vibrant hues of yellow, green, and orange surrounding pools of bubbling acid, earning it comparisons to the “gateway to hell.”
The Danakil Depression, situated in a desert stretch approximately 200km long, holds the record for being the lowest point on earth, lying 100m below sea level – nearly twice that of Death Valley.
Despite its reputation as one of the planet’s most hostile environments, it still draws in the occasional thrill-seeking tourist, scientists, and salt miners. Locals have been harvesting the salt fields for centuries, with miners using camels to transport large plates of salt.
The mineral was so vital to the region that it earned the nickname “white gold” and was even used as currency until the previous century.
It’s located in the Afar region in northern Ethiopia on the border with Eritrea and is only accessible by a very uncomfortable trip spanning hundreds of kilometres across bumpy roads and desert tracks, with local guides and spare vehicles essential to prevent daring travellers getting into trouble.
The region is also home to a nomadic tribe that has somehow survived in the blistering temperatures, although visotrs should be wary as they have been known to cut off unwanted visitors’ testicles.
With record temperatures of 51.6C and average temperatures that sit between 35C and 40C the little rainfall that ever falls evaporates immediately.
The area is formed by the slow separation of the African, Arabian and Somali tectonic plates which are continuing to drift at a rate of one to two centimetres a year.
For those undeterred by the intense heat and who have still added the destination to their bucket list, safety in the region has been a concern in recent years.
Although the conflict has now ended the Foreign Office has warned that “There is a continued risk of landmines and other unexploded ordinances following the end of the 2020-2022 northern Ethiopia conflict.
They added: ” FCDO advises against all travel to the parts of Afar region within 10km of the border with Eritrea.”
Surrounding the arid land, the depression is shadowed by two valcones, with Mount Erta Ale being active since the 1960s, still spewing out magma and boasting a crater lake of molten lava.
The acid pools, lava lake, and vast desert have not only been the star of countless documentaries but were also credited as a backdrop for mythology being one of the filming locations for the 2010 film Clash of the Titans.
