Things to Do in Eritrea in December

30 m (98 ft) visibility in December, that's the Dahlak Islands at their clearest. Whale sharks cruise these reefs through February, so you've got three solid months to dive with them. Dessei Island's underwater caves open up once winter currents settle down. Between dives, you'll surface on pearl-white sandbars that only exist during dry season.

December's dry air keeps the 1930s Fiat Tagliero building's wing-like concrete canopies pristine, zero humidity stains, no wind damage. The guided walks through Cinema Roma and the old Bar Zilli district work in December because the brutal midday sun finally drops to tolerable levels. You'll linger over hand-painted ceramic tiles inside the Central Post Office.

3,018 m (9,902 ft) Emba Soira finally opens in December, no frostbite risk. Daytime temps hit 15°C (59°F) at altitude; that's 10 degrees warmer than the usual 5°C (41°F). The 8-hour round trip from Asmara winds through juniper forests that smell like Christmas pine, then bursts into Afro-alpine meadows where gelada baboons graze without summer crowds.

December mornings in Massawa hit 24°C (75°F), good for cycling the coral-stone Ottoman quarter without melting into the pavement. The 15 km (9.3 mile) loop past Sheikh Hanafi Mosque and through the old port takes exactly 2.5 hours, if you pause for grilled fish at the fishing boats. Winter tides expose the old Ottoman causeway at low tide, creating a natural cycling path that's underwater the rest of the year.

December's Monday livestock market in Keren is when nomadic Afar herders bring their best camels from the Danakil Depression. The animals are fattened from end-of-rains grazing. The bargaining is serious business, no small talk, just numbers. The adjacent spice market overflows with December's harvest. Bright red berbere, yellow turmeric that stains your fingers for days, and frankincense chunks the size of your fist.