Visiting Eritrea can be done in any season, but the differences in climate between the highlands and the coast must be taken into account. In Asmara and on the high plateaus, the temperature does not exceed 30°C at the hottest in May; there are two rainy seasons, a small from March to April, and a more important from late June to September. In Massawa and on the coast, the period from late June to September is a very hot period (above 40°C, up to 50°C in Massawa in July); there is a small rainy season from December to February. In short: to have the best weather while avoiding too high temperatures whatever the region visited, it is better to avoid summer. Eritrea, or the Republic of Eritrea, lies in the north-eastern part of the African continent known as the Horn of Africa. It borders Djibouti to the east, Ethiopia to the south and Sudan to the west. The country is bordered by the Red Sea for approximately 1,000 kilometres.

Its capital, Asmara, is about 100 kilometres from the coast. Formerly known as "Little Rome", it still has a number of buildings marked by Italian architecture. These buildings attract many tourists every year, curious to find a part of Italy in Africa. One of the capital's landmark buildings is St Joseph's Cathedral in Romanesque Revival style, with its high bell tower echoing Italian religious buildings. In a completely different style, the Impero cinema built by the Italian people in the early twentieth century art deco influence. The visitor will be able to continue by the visit of the National Museum of Eritrea. For lovers of Cubism, the Pension Africa built in the 1920s will enchant them. Other monuments such as the governor's palace (neo-classical style), the theatre and the large market will allow tourists to get to know the capital from every corner. To contemplate styles totally different from the European styles, the visitor will be able to go to a hundred kilometres from there, in the city of Agordat. The city reveals its architecture marked by Egyptian and Turkish styles. If he wishes to escape for a day, he can discover the various islands of the Dahlak archipelago with its desert climate. For the more daring, the Danakil desert (or Afar depression) is a challenge: it is one of the driest deserts on the planet.

Festivities
Apart from religious holidays, national holidays play an important role in the life of Eritreans. On February 10, the Fenkil festival commemorates the liberation of the city of Massawa in 1990. Women's Day is celebrated on 9 March, followed by Independence Day, celebrated with great pomp on 24 May. The day of the martyrs, June 20, is sadly lived. In homage to the victims of 1990, the population gathered in the squares, candles in hand.