Djibouti: Squares, Souks and Island Nature

A trip to Djibouti brings together city squares and handicrafts with a nearby island world. Place du 27 Juin, the open-air souks between two squares, and the Moucha and Maskali Islands give the destination different points of interest. When planning, you can decide whether to focus primarily on urban sights, locally made handicrafts or coastal landscapes.

Squares and Handicrafts

Place du 27 Juin was formerly known as Place Ménélik. It is heavily shaded and defined by numerous café terraces and souvenir vendors. Its former name offers a historical connection, while the shade and terraces shape the character of the square. If café terraces and a shady square are among your travel interests, this makes for a distinct urban focus alongside the destination’s natural attractions.

Open-air souks selling handicrafts made in Djibouti lie between Place du 27 Juin and Place Mahmoud-Harbi. These include traditional daggers, baskets, bags and beaded necklaces. The two squares mark the souk area’s location; the handicrafts add a specific selection of locally made products to Place du 27 Juin’s cafés and souvenirs. When planning your trip, you can therefore distinguish between the atmosphere of the squares and an interest in handicrafts.

Moucha and Maskali: Beaches, Mangroves and Reefs

The Moucha and Maskali Islands lie close to the destination, 45 minutes from the capital. At the entrance to the Gulf of Tadjourah, they are considered emergent coral reefs and a marine protected area. Fine-sand beaches and mangrove forests with stilt roots in salt water are also part of their landscape. Diving and snorkelling are mentioned as leisure activities. The contrast with the urban squares is clear: the islands bring together coastal landscapes and marine activities, while the squares and souks foreground urban impressions and handicrafts.

Further Impressions in the Wider Destination of Djibouti

The city of Djibouti was established in the wider destination of Djibouti between approximately 1886 and 1900. The Aburma rock art site is also part of this broader context. It is considered the most important rock art site in East Africa and contains additional, more complex prehistoric rock art. These historical and cultural attractions complement the squares and souks with another perspective on the destination of Djibouti.

The Djalelo Valley is considered an area with a particularly high concentration of gerenuks, also known as giraffe gazelles. In Godoria, the mangrove forest includes a maze of channels and mangrove roots, home to numerous animal and plant species. Excursions to the mangroves of Godoria and Khor Angar depart from Obock and are made in small motorboats.

The Goubet Al-Kharab offers another kind of landscape: the bay is overlooked by the dome-shaped Île du Diable. The island was formed by tectonic movements associated with the formation of the Assal Rift. Lake Abbé is a day’s journey from the capital; the route passes through the Grand Bara Desert and the town of Dikhil. Travel time may vary.

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