Lake Assal is the lowest point in Africa and the third lowest on earth, sitting 155 meters below sea level in a volcanic crater at the western end of the Gulf of Tadjoura. The water is ten times saltier than the ocean — only a handful of lakes on the planet are more saline — and the shoreline is encrusted in thick, brilliant white salt that crunches underfoot.
The drive from Djibouti City takes about two hours on a paved road and passes through some of the most dramatic scenery in the country: black lava fields from the Ardoukoba eruption of 1978, and the turquoise inlet of Ghoubet el Kharab, a collapsed caldera that drops steeply into dark water. The landscape is raw geology — you can see the earth being pulled apart along the Afar Rift.
At the lake itself, you can float in the dense water (bring shoes — the salt crystals are sharp), watch Afar nomads cutting salt blocks as they have for centuries, and take in a view that is simultaneously beautiful and harsh. There is no shade, no facilities, and no vendor selling cold drinks. Bring more water than you think you need.
Most visitors come on day trips from Djibouti City or Tadjoura. A basic taxi handles the tarmac road — you do not strictly need a 4WD, though one is more comfortable on the rougher tracks near the shore. Come in the cooler months (October to February); in summer the heat at the lake is extreme even by Djiboutian standards.