Aden
Yemen · 10 m
Description
Aden is built inside the flooded crater of an extinct volcano on a peninsula joined to the mainland by a sandy neck, one of the great natural harbours of the world and a coaling station that made it the busiest port between Suez and Bombay. The quarter called Crater sits inside the caldera itself, ringed by black volcanic walls. Its Cisterns of Tawila, a stepped system of plastered reservoirs cut into the rock, are attributed to the Himyarite period. The waterfront carries the layered architecture of British, Indian and Arab Aden. Distances across the peninsula are longer than they look on a map.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 4 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: November – March
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Cisterns of Tawila in Crater
- Crater quarter inside the volcanic caldera
- Natural harbour and the old port
- Sira fortress on its island rock
- Gold Mohur and the peninsula beaches
- National Museum and the Rimbaud house
- Aden minaret and the old mosques
- British, Indian and Arab layers on the waterfront
- Fish market and the harbour catch
- Little Aden and the volcanic headlands
Getting there
- Airports:
- ADE
- Seaport:
- Reachable by ship or ferry