Massawa

A historic port on Eritrea’s Red-Sea coast, Massawa dates back to the times of the Kingdom of Axum, when it was just a small fishing village. Now, it is a city of 50,000 people, spread across two islands and a portion of coastline.

Although badly damaged during Eritrea’s bloody war of independence, the city is still dotted with older buildings, both Ottoman and Italian, that survived the Ethiopian bombing. It is also perfectly located for accessing the remarkable Dahlak Archipelago, with its myriad islands.