Danakil Depression, Ethiopia

The Danakil Depression, a 50 x 200km geological basin in the Afar region of northeast Ethiopia, is one of the most extreme landscapes on Earth. It features sulphur springs at Dallol, towering volcanoes, Sahel scrub, sand dunes, and vast salt pans. In 1974, American paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson discovered the 3.2 million-year-old remains of “Lucy” here, cementing the region’s reputation as a cradle of humanity.

This collection of Danakil Depression photos documents Women on a Mission’s world-first bicycle crossing of the area — a 200km journey completed over six days, with daytime temperatures reaching +50°C.

Bordering Eritrea, the depression reaches its lowest point at Dallol, –125m below sea level. With year-round average temperatures above +35°C, it is considered the hottest inhabited place on the planet. Running through its centre are around a dozen basaltic shield volcanoes; the tallest is Ale Bagu (1,031m). The most visited is Erta Ale (613m), largely because the only village in the area, Ksrawat, lies at its base. Reaching other volcanoes, such as Borale Ale (668m), Alu (429m), and Dalaffilla (613m), is far more challenging due to limited tracks and security risks posed by Afar rebel groups near the Eritrean border.

For portraits and scenes of Afar communities, see Eric Lafforgue’s collection on Atlas of Humanity. Travel in the Danakil requires permits, a licensed guide, and armed security, making independent exploration extremely difficult. These photographs offer a glimpse into the harsh, otherworldly environment that awaits visitors.

A boy wearing a yellow and blue shirt smiles wryly for the camera.
A group of Afar kids walking through the desert.
An Afar girl with dreadlocks sat on a wooden bed in the open air.
A portrait of Afar policeman with gun over his shoulder.
A busy downtown market in Addis Ababa.
A group of cyclists on a sandy desert cycling between small bushes.
An Afar Ethiopian guide looking tough with his AK-47 slung over his shoulder.
Four boys goofing off for the camera throwing signs with their fingers.
Two British cyclists pass by three Afar villages in the Danakil.
Portrait of two Ethiopian women with braided hair and white blouses.
Three cyclists in blue tops cycling on sand in Dallol.
A mountain biker descending down a sand bank with her bicycle.
Two cyclists on a sunny day in the Ethiopian desert.
Side shot of three cyclists traversing a sandy desert in Ethiopia.
A busy market in Addis Ababa with baskets for sale.
A young boy crosses his arms like a super hero.
A mother and baby camel walking through the sahel with a volcano in the background.
A man with a white and brown checked shirt poses in an Addis Ababa market.
An Ethiopian man with two camels in the Danakil Depression.
Black and white photo of a traditional Afar settlement with volcano in background.
Close up photo of one mountain biker smiling for the camera.
A cyclist passing by a green sodom apple tree.
Close up photo of cyclist wearing pink jersey top and white tennis hat and smiling.
A man cutting a block of salt with an axe in Dallol.
Matt with a group of Ethiopian guides.
A Dallol working next to a tall stack of cut salt blocks in Dallol.
Skinny Afar guide with blue top and black headscarf on his head posing.
A young Afar policeman with his AK-47 slung over his shoulder.
Black and white portrait of Afar teenage guide in Danakil Depression.
An Afar guide ascends out of the crater as a soldier talks to him from above.
A 4x4 Toyota trunk descends over a sandy bank in the Danakil Depression.
Two young boys locking their arms together and smiling for the camera.
An Afar man walking across black, desolate volcanic plateau with camels.
Two salt workers hacking a salt blocks with their axe tools and crouching down.
A tired cycling pouring her bottle of water over her head.
A herd of camels walk past a school in Ksrawat, Danakil Depression.
A look into Erta Ale's crater boiling with lava.
Four mountain bikers riding across a stretch of sand and between green bushes.
Portrait of Afar Danakil Depression guide with AK-47 gun on shoulder.
Mountain biker with orange top and green helmet gives a thumbs-up.
Four Afar children waiting by the road side to greet the cyclists.
Portrait of Muslim man with green scarf and short beard in Addis Ababa.
A group of Afar and Ethiopian guides in the small village of Dallol.
Afar boy in traditional clothes staring curiously at female mountain biker.
Two cyclists and three jeeps traversing a plateau in Dallol.
A Dallol salt mine work in the middle of talking, wearing a headscarf and red t-shirt.
Portrait of Ethiopian guide, Mulugeta, in the Danakil Depression.
Two women on mountain bikes riding up Erta Ale in Ethiopia.
A work crouched down with red and white head scarf cutting salt slab.
A portrait of two men, one older wearing a green shirt and another wearing aviator glasses.

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