An archipelago of some 200 islands scattered across the southern Red Sea, the Dahlak Islands are one of East Africa's best-kept diving secrets. Only four are inhabited, with a total population of around 2,500 people — most of them on Dahlak el Kebir — who still live by fishing, herding goats and camels, much as their ancestors did for centuries.
The diving is the main draw. Submerged coral reefs, dramatic shoals, and shipwrecks sit beneath water that teems with dolphins, sharks, dugongs, turtles, hermit crabs, and an astonishing variety of fish. Some islands have mangrove-fringed shores or salt-bush flats; others are bare rock rising from the blue. Submarine volcanoes have left fields of pumice scattered across the seabed.
Dahlak el Kebir was historically the chief port for pearl fishing in the southern Red Sea and carries a darker past too — the islands were a major conduit for the export of enslaved people from the mainland to the Arabian peninsula. The Ethiopians used Dahlak el Kebir as a military base during their occupation of Eritrea.
The islands are a protected National Park, so independent access is not possible. You'll need to book through a tourist agency that arranges the permits. Charter yachts are available for hire in Massawa, the nearest mainland port, from where the crossing departs.