Dallol is the centrepiece of any Danakil tour and one of the most otherworldly landscapes on the planet. A low volcanic cone at roughly 130 metres below sea level, its surface is covered in hydrothermal vents, acid pools, salt chimneys, and mineral formations in colours that seem to belong to a different planet: sulphur-yellow, malachite-green, terracotta-red, and blinding white, all boiling and steaming in the searing heat.
The pools are intensely acidic — pH values close to zero have been measured in some vents — and the chemical reactions between the brine, sulphur, and mineral salts produce the extraordinary colour palette. Salt crystal formations grow into pillars, mushrooms, and terraces around the active vents. Walking through Dallol requires careful route-finding to avoid the thin crust that conceals active venting below; guides are essential. The site is best visited in the first light of morning, both for the lower temperature and because the low-angle sun illuminates the colours with particular intensity.