Active shield volcano with one of only five persistent lava lakes on Earth — 613 m summit over salt desert.
Country
🇪🇹 Ethiopia
Region
Afar Region / Danakil
Best time
November–February (avoid April–October extreme heat)
Coordinates
13.600, 40.670Erta Ale ('smoking mountain' in Afar) is a 613-metre basaltic shield volcano in the Afar Triangle. Its summit crater has held an active lava lake almost continuously since 1906 — one of only five such lakes on the planet. Access requires an armed escort, a 4×4 convoy across the Danakil salt plains, and a 3-hour night hike to camp on the crater rim. A truly other-worldly experience.
Real observations published to GBIF by researchers, lodges, and citizen scientists — refreshed daily.
Best time to visit
November–February (avoid April–October extreme heat)
Choose a curated departure or use any of these as a starting point — we'll tailor the itinerary, dates and pace to you.
Erta Ale lava lake by night + Dallol's technicolour sulfur springs — the hottest place on Earth.