Find places in Eritrea

Must-Haves

• Fiat Tagliero (Sematat Avenue)
  The famous 1938 aeroplane shaped service station, the symbol of Asmara's modernist heritage.
• Cinema Impero (Harnet Avenue)
  A grand Art Deco cinema on the main avenue that still screens films and football.
• Cinema Roma (Sematat Avenue)
  A 1930s cinema with a lovely café bar and terrace where locals linger over macchiato.

Fun for Everyone

• Cinema Capitol (Central Asmara)
  Another of Asmara's period cinemas, with a classic facade worth seeing on any architecture walk.

Off the Beaten Path

• Cinema Odeon (Central Asmara)
  A smaller modernist cinema with a beautifully preserved interior.

Must-Haves

• Harnet Avenue evening passeggiata (Harnet Avenue)
  Join the whole city on its slow evening stroll under the palm trees.

Fun for Everyone

• Expo Grounds (Asmara)
  The showground that hosts the Festival Eritrea and other big public events.

Off the Beaten Path

• Debre Bizen Monastery (Near Nefasit)
  A centuries old hilltop monastery with huge views, open to men only.

Must-Haves

• Filfil (Eastern escarpment)
  Green forest and coffee plantations where monkeys and birds thrive, a cool escape from the plateau.

Fun for Everyone

• Nefasit viewpoint (Asmara to Massawa road)
  Breathtaking views where the plateau drops towards the coast.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Bet Giorgis viewpoint (Eastern edge of Asmara)
  A hilltop on the edge of the plateau with sweeping views at sunset.

Must-Haves

• Asmara Central Market (North of the cathedral)
  Spices, berbere, baskets and coffee in a lively covered market.
• Medebar Market (Near the central market)
  A clanging recycling market where craftsmen turn scrap into tools and household goods.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Asmara Silver Market (Central market area)
  Small workshops selling filigree silver jewellery and crosses.
• Asmara Basket Market (Central market area)
  Woven baskets and mesob tables in colourful patterns.

Off the Beaten Path

• Asmara Spice Market (Central market area)
  Sacks of berbere, shiro powder, frankincense and coffee beans to take home.

Great for Date Night

• Cinema Roma Bar (Sematat Avenue)
  Coffee or an evening drink on the terrace of the 1930s cinema.

Must-Haves

• Casa degli Italiani (Central Asmara)
  The old Italian social club, with pasta and pizza in a leafy courtyard.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Ful houses of the central market (Central market area)
  Simple cafés serving spicy ful with fresh bread for breakfast.

Great for Date Night

• Asmara Palace Hotel restaurant (Asmara)
  The capital's grandest hotel dining room, good for a special dinner.

Must-Haves

• Asmara Beer Factory (Asmara)
  The home of the local Asmara beer, whose fresh draught you will meet in every bar.

Great for Date Night

• Crystal Hotel bar (Central Asmara)
  A relaxed hotel bar for an evening drink in the city centre.
• Hamasien Hotel garden bar (Central Asmara)
  Drinks in the garden of a historic hotel, calm and romantic in the evening.

Must-Haves

• Independence Day celebrations (Harnet Avenue)
  On 24 May the city fills with parades, music and dancing for Independence Day.
• Meskel bonfire (Bahti Meskel Square)
  In late September crowds gather around a huge bonfire for the Orthodox feast of the True Cross.

Fun for Everyone

• Festival Eritrea (Expo Grounds)
  A summer festival of music, food and culture from all of Eritrea's nine ethnic groups.
• Martyrs Day (Asmara)
  On 20 June the nation remembers those who died in the independence war, with candlelit gatherings.

Off the Beaten Path

• Timket celebrations (Asmara)
  Orthodox Epiphany in January, with processions in white and colourful church umbrellas.

Must-Haves

• Asmara Palace Hotel (Asmara)
  The capital's largest international style hotel, with a pool and gardens.
• Crystal Hotel (Central Asmara)
  A well run, central hotel close to Harnet Avenue.

Great for Date Night

• Albergo Italia (Central Asmara)
  A restored 1899 hotel full of period charm, the most atmospheric stay in town.

Fun for Everyone

• Hamasien Hotel (Central Asmara)
  A historic hotel with gardens, set in an Italian era building.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Africa Pension (Central Asmara)
  A simple guesthouse in a beautiful colonial villa.

Must-Haves

• Massawa Old Town (Massawa Island)
  Coral stone houses, carved balconies and quiet lanes that reward slow wandering.
• Imperial Palace Massawa (Taulud)
  The domed former imperial palace, war damaged and hauntingly beautiful.
• Martyrs Monument Massawa (Causeway, Taulud)
  Three tanks marking the 1990 battle that liberated Massawa.

Fun for Everyone

• Sheikh Hanafi Mosque (Massawa Island)
  One of the oldest mosques in the region, admired from outside.

Off the Beaten Path

• Banco d'Italia building (Massawa Island)
  The shell of the old Italian bank, a striking piece of colonial architecture.

Must-Haves

• Gurgusum Beach (North of Massawa)
  The town's favourite swimming beach, with warm water and simple cafés.

Fun for Everyone

• Boat trip to Green Island (Massawa port)
  A short boat ride to snorkel, swim and picnic on a quiet island.

Off the Beaten Path

• Adulis archaeological site (Near Zula)
  The ruins of the ancient Aksumite port, still being excavated.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Sunset walk along the causeway (Taulud to Massawa Island)
  Watch the light turn gold over the harbour and the old town.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Massawa fish ovens (Massawa Island)
  Simple grills near the port where the day's catch is baked to order.

Great for Date Night

• Dahlak Hotel restaurant (Massawa Island)
  Seafood and pasta with harbour views.

Fun for Everyone

• Ful cafés of Massawa (Massawa Island)
  Spicy ful, shahi tea and fresh bread for a local breakfast.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Massawa juice bars (Taulud)
  Fresh mango, papaya and avocado juices to beat the heat.

Fun for Everyone

• Old town tea houses (Massawa Island)
  Sweet tea and coffee among fishermen and traders.

Great for Date Night

• Red Sea Hotel terrace (Taulud)
  A cold drink by the water as the evening breeze arrives.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Massawa fish market (Massawa port)
  Watch the catch come in and see the Red Sea's variety of fish.

Off the Beaten Path

• Massawa old town souk (Massawa Island)
  Small shops selling incense, spices, fabrics and household goods.

Must-Haves

• Fenkil anniversary (Massawa)
  In February Massawa marks the anniversary of its liberation with ceremonies and celebrations.

Off the Beaten Path

• Ghinda and the escarpment (Asmara to Massawa road)
  Green slopes, cactus and fruit stalls on the way down to the coast.

Must-Haves

• Dahlak Hotel (Massawa Island)
  A larger hotel with a pool, convenient for exploring the old town.

Fun for Everyone

• Gurgusum Beach Hotel (Gurgusum)
  A beachside hotel for swimming and lazy days by the sea.

Great for Date Night

• Red Sea Hotel (Taulud)
  A seafront hotel with sea breezes and a relaxed atmosphere.

Must-Haves

• Keren Monday Market (Edge of Keren)
  Camels, goats and cattle change hands in one of the Horn's great market scenes.

Fun for Everyone

• Keren Silver Market (Central Keren)
  Silversmiths making traditional jewellery in small workshops.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Keren Central Market (Central Keren)
  Fruit, vegetables, spices and baskets in a busy, friendly market.

Must-Haves

• Mariam Dearit (Outside Keren)
  A tiny shrine to the Virgin Mary inside a giant baobab tree.
• Keren War Cemetery (Keren)
  The Commonwealth cemetery remembering the 1941 Battle of Keren.

Off the Beaten Path

• Italian War Cemetery Keren (Keren)
  A peaceful cemetery for the Italian and Eritrean colonial soldiers who fell in 1941.

Fun for Everyone

• Fort Keren (Tigu hill)
  An old Egyptian era fort with wide views over the town.
• St Michael's Cathedral Keren (Central Keren)
  A Catholic landmark in the heart of the town.

Must-Haves

• Mariam Dearit feast (Outside Keren)
  Thousands of pilgrims gather at the baobab shrine each year in late May.

Off the Beaten Path

• Anseba valley fruit gardens (Around Keren)
  Banana, citrus and papaya gardens along the green Anseba valley.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Keren ful cafés (Central Keren)
  Hearty ful and bread at simple cafés around the market.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Keren tea houses (Central Keren)
  Sweet shahi tea and coffee in the shade during the heat of the day.

Must-Haves

• Keren Hotel (Central Keren)
  The town's historic hotel, simple but central.

Must-Haves

• Dahlak Kebir (Dahlak Archipelago)
  The largest island, with fishing villages, cisterns and ancient Islamic tombstones.
• Green Island (Near Massawa)
  The easiest island to reach, with a beach and snorkelling.

Off the Beaten Path

• Dissei Island (Southern Dahlak)
  Sandy beaches and clear water on a hilly island few people visit.

Must-Haves

• Snorkelling the Dahlak reefs (Dahlak Archipelago)
  Healthy coral and big shoals of fish in some of the Red Sea's least visited waters.

Fun for Everyone

• Dolphin watching (Dahlak Archipelago)
  Dolphins often ride alongside boats between the islands.
• Beach camping in the Dahlak islands (Dahlak Archipelago)
  Sleep under the stars on an empty beach on an organised boat trip.

Off the Beaten Path

• Dahlak Kebir tombstone field (Dahlak Kebir)
  Inscribed Islamic gravestones around a thousand years old from the island sultanate.
• Birdwatching on the Dahlak islands (Dahlak Archipelago)
  Ospreys, crab plovers and herons on quiet beaches and mangroves.

Must-Haves

• Qohaito (Plateau near Adi Keyih)
  Columns, tombs and an ancient dam on a high plateau, Eritrea's great archaeological site.
• Safra Dam (Qohaito)
  An ancient stone dam still holding water after many centuries.
• Metera (Near Senafe)
  Aksumite era ruins and a tall stele with a sun and crescent symbol.

Off the Beaten Path

• Adi Alauti Cave (Qohaito)
  A cave with ancient rock paintings on the edge of a huge gorge.
• Debre Libanos Monastery (Near Ham)
  One of Eritrea's oldest monasteries, set into a cliff face.

Fun for Everyone

• Amba Metera (Senafe)
  A dramatic rock outcrop above Senafe, great for a short walk at sunset.

Must-Haves

• Qohaito gorge viewpoint (Qohaito)
  The plateau edge drops into a vast canyon with views towards the coast.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Adi Keyih Market (Central Adi Keyih)
  A busy highland market for grain, livestock and household goods.
• Dekemhare Market (Dekemhare)
  A lively market town with Italian era buildings on the road south.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Hotels in Adi Keyih (Central Adi Keyih)
  Simple local hotels that make a handy base for Qohaito.