Assab
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Assab

Assab

Remote southern Eritrean Red Sea port with Italian colonial traces and a hot, arid coastal setting.

Assab is a port city in the far south of Eritrea, close to the border with Djibouti. It sits on the Red Sea coast in a hot, arid stretch of land and is one of the most remote cities in the country.

Assab's port was once a major trade gateway for landlocked Ethiopia, but traffic dropped sharply after the Eritrean-Ethiopian war. The city feels quiet and isolated compared to Asmara, with a dry, dusty character and intense heat for most of the year. The Italian quarter retains some traces of the colonial era when Assab served as Italy's first foothold in Africa. There is little in the way of tourism infrastructure, but the setting on the Red Sea has its own stark appeal.

Guide

Getting There

Getting to Assab is not straightforward. The city has an airport — Assab International Airport — but scheduled flights are infrequent and service varies; check with Eritrean Airlines before making plans that depend on it.

The overland route from Asmara is extremely long, passing through difficult terrain in the Danakil Depression. The road is passable but arduous, and travel permits are required for movement in the southern region. Most visitors who reach Assab are either working in the area or passing through by sea.

Guide

Things to Do

Assab is not a tourist destination in any conventional sense, but the Red Sea coast, the old Italian quarter, and the surrounding volcanic landscape give it an austere fascination. Visitors who make it here are usually doing so as part of a wider journey through Eritrea's southern region.