Lake Assal
بحيرة عسل
Tadjourah Region, Djibouti · 11°39′21″N 42°24′30″E
The lowest point in Africa, a lake ten times saltier than the sea, ringed by a blinding crust of salt and black lava at the bottom of the Afar rift.
Lake Assal sits 155 m below sea level in a rift where Africa is splitting from Arabia. Seawater seeps in from the Gulf of Tadjourah, evaporates in 50 °C heat, and leaves a lake of 35 per cent salinity: the saltiest large body of water outside Antarctica. The shore is a white crust up to a metre thick, with salt pillars and salt-cased branches, and the surrounding hills are recent lava.
It is a working salt source for the Afar, whose caravans still carry blocks toward Ethiopia.
Why it stays quiet
Djibouti has almost no tourism. A few expatriates and passing military personnel visit at weekends; on a weekday there may be nobody.
Where it is
Before you go
Bring water and sun protection; there is no shade. Salt crust is sharp; wear closed shoes. Avoid midday in summer.
Updated 2026-09-06 · Suggest a correction
