Arta

Arta sits on a ridge at around seven hundred metres southwest of Djibouti City, high enough that the temperature drops noticeably and a breeze runs through, which is why the capital's residents have long kept second houses here for the summer. The town looks down over the Gulf of Tadjoura on one side and the Grand Bara plain on the other. It is quiet and the point is the air.

What you actually see

• The ridge position - around seven hundred metres with a breeze most days.
• The gulf view - the Gulf of Tadjoura laid out below on one side.
• The Grand Bara view - the desert plain on the other side.
• The summer houses - the retreat the capital built here for the heat.

When to go

November to March is the cool season generally; Arta is at its most useful in the summer months when the coast is unbearable. The town is quiet outside summer weekends.

Honest expectations

There is very little in the town itself and few facilities. The interest is the climate and the views. The road up is winding.

Nearby

Grand Bara is south, and Djibouti City is northeast.