Senafe

 

 

 

 

 


Lying 139km south of Asmera, Senafe is the last Eritrean town of any size before the Ethiopian border and is famous as the site of the ancient city of Metera.

The latter lies clearly visible on a large plain to the east of the road, 2km south of Senafe. Apart from the site of Metera, Senafe is known for the huge outcrops that dominate the plain. One can hike to the top of Amba Metera, one of the outcrops, in about one hour, though there are various routes with varying degrees of difficulty. The most popular route takes 45 to 60 minutes and is in parts a scramble over boulders; in one place, a fixed rope helps you up a short section in which grooves are chiselled into the rock. Heavy or bulky camera equipment should be left behind. From the top there is a great panoramic view that rrecalls Senafe´s name, which is supposedly derived fro the Arabic: "Can you see Sana´a?" It is better to hike early in the morning, as it gets very hazy later on.