Massawa, EritreaAI generated

Massawa

Eritrea · Northern Red Sea · 5 m

Short description of Massawa

Massawa (Batse) is the deep water port of the Red Sea coast and the other pole of Eritrea, at sea level and searingly hot for most of the year. The old town sits on an island of coral block houses with carved wooden balconies and Ottoman, Egyptian and Italian layers on top of one another, much of it still in the state the shelling of nineteen ninety left it in. The Imperial Palace stands roofless above the water. Boats leave the harbour for the Dahlak islands, the fish market grills what came in that morning, and causeways tie the islands to the mainland.

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Recommended length of stay

Minimum1 day
Optimal2 days
Maximum3 days

Travel seasons at a glance

Best time to visit: December – February

  • Jan
  • Feb
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • Jun
  • Jul
  • Aug
  • Sep
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec

All highlights and sightsBeta

  1. Coral block old town on Massawa island
  2. Ruins of the Imperial Palace
  3. Sheikh Hanafi mosque
  4. Sahaba mosque
  5. Causeways between the islands and the mainland
  6. Snorkelling day trip to Green Island(Day trip)
  7. Gurgusum beach
  8. Fish market and the evening grills
  9. Fenkil monument of the three tanks
  10. Italian commercial buildings on Taulud
  11. Ruins of Adulis near Foro(Day trip)
  12. Foro Thursday market (weekly)(Day trip)
  13. Diving the shallow Red Sea reefs

Map view

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