Eritrea Travel Guide 2026: Asmara Art Deco, Massawa, Dahlak, Keren, Qohaito
Browse more guides: Eritrea travel | Africa destinations Eritrea Travel Guide 2026: Asmara Art Deco, Massawa, Dahlak, Keren, Qohaito 1. TL;DR I spent sixteen days in Eritrea in February 2026, splitting time between Asmara's UNESCO listed Art Deco core, Massawa's coral coast, the Dahlak islands, Keren in the western highlands, and the pre-Aksumite ruins at Qohaito. The country requires internal travel permits outside Asmara and works almost entirely on cash. Plan for slow logistics, low crowds, and a country that surprised me at every turn. 2. Why Visit Eritrea in 2026 Eritrea sits in the Horn of Africa between Sudan, Ethiopia, and Djibouti, with 1,151 km of Red Sea coastline. The country reopened limited tourism after the 2018 peace agreement with Ethiopia. UNESCO inscribed Asmara as "Asmara: A Modernist City of Africa" in July 2017, recognising the most concentrated collection of 1930s Italian Modernist and Art Deco architecture anywhere. Three reasons brough...