Lake Assal sits 155 meters below sea level, making it the lowest point in Africa and the third-lowest land depression on Earth. The lake lies 120 kilometers west of Djibouti City in the Afar Depression. Salt crust covers the shoreline in thick white layers. The water salinity measures 34.8 percent, ten times saltier than ocean water and higher than the Dead Sea. Local Afar people harvest salt by hand using traditional methods passed through generations. The lake formed from a collapsed volcanic crater that filled with seawater filtering through porous rock from Ghoubbet al-Kharab Bay seven kilometers to the east. Temperatures at the lake surface regularly exceed 50 degrees Celsius between June and August. The drive from Djibouti City follows a paved road to Arta, then a graded track through volcanic plains. No facilities exist at the lake itself.
Lake Abbe marks the Ethiopia-Djibouti border 230 kilometers southwest of Djibouti City. Limestone chimneys rise from the lakebed, some reaching 50 meters in height. These formations result from calcium-rich hot springs meeting alkaline lake water, depositing minerals over thousands of years. Steam vents at the chimney bases, particularly visible at dawn when air temperature drops. The surrounding landscape holds fossilized coral from when the Afar Depression connected to the Red Sea three million years ago. Flamingos gather at the lake during wet season months between November and March. The 1968 film Planet of the Apes used Lake Abbe for its final scene. Access requires a four-wheel drive vehicle and typically a guide from Dikhil, the nearest town 100 kilometers northeast. No paved roads reach the lake.
The Day Forest National Park covers 15 square kilometers on the Goda Massif between 800 and 1,700 meters elevation. The forest represents the last significant woodland in Djibouti, receiving approximately 400 millimeters of annual rainfall from moisture-laden winds off the Gulf of Aden. African juniper, wild olive, and fig trees grow throughout the park. Francolin birds inhabit the understory. The government established the park in 1939 under French administration. A paved road connects Djibouti City to the forest entrance near the town of Day, 25 kilometers distant. Hiking trails wind through the forest, though no marked route system exists. The temperature in the forest averages 10 to 15 degrees Celsius cooler than the coastal plain. Water sources within the park support the capital's supply system through underground pipes installed in the 1950s.
Ghoubbet al-Kharab Bay connects to the Gulf of Tadjoura through a strait 400 meters wide. The bay name translates to "demon's pit" in Arabic. Depths reach 1,000 meters in places. Whale sharks appear in these waters between October and January, migrating through the Gulf of Aden. Individual sharks measure up to 12 meters in length. Swimming with whale sharks operates from several dive centers in Djibouti City, requiring 45 minutes by boat to reach feeding areas. Manta rays also frequent the bay year-round. The Ardoukoba Volcano sits on the bay's western shore. This volcano last erupted in November 1978, producing a lava flow visible from the coastal road. The eruption lasted six days.
Seven Brothers Islands scatter across the Gulf of Tadjoura 18 kilometers from Obock. The islands form part of a volcanic chain running parallel to the coast. Green sea turtles and hawksbill turtles nest on the beaches between May and September. Coral reefs ring each island at depths from 5 to 40 meters. The reefs host over 150 coral species and 300 fish species according to surveys conducted by French marine research stations. Dolphin pods, typically 15 to 30 individuals, patrol the channels between islands. No permanent human settlement exists on any of the seven islands. Day trips by boat from Obock take approximately 90 minutes each direction. Overnight camping requires advance permission from Djibouti's Ministry of Environment.
Tadjoura stands on the northern shore of the Gulf of Tadjoura, 126 kilometers by road from Djibouti City, though only 40 kilometers by sea. The town served as a major slave trading port in the 18th and 19th centuries, with caravans arriving from the Ethiopian highlands. Seven whitewashed mosques with coral stone construction date to this period, the oldest from 1783. The architecture reflects Yemeni influence through pointed arches and carved wooden doors. A paved coastal road reached Tadjoura in 2017, replacing a previous route requiring eight hours of rough track driving. The town population stands at approximately 20,000. Traditional dhow boats still transport goods across the gulf to Djibouti City. Hotels number fewer than five, primarily serving aid workers and military personnel from nearby camps.