Mai Nefhi Reservoir

Mai Nefhi is a reservoir southwest of Asmara built to supply the capital with water, sitting among granite domes and eucalyptus plantations on the highland plateau, and it is where the city goes for a change of air at weekends. Boulders break out of the ground around the shore and the light on the water in the late afternoon is the reason people drive out. A college campus stands nearby. The dam was built in the colonial period and remains one of the capital's main water sources.

What you actually see

• The reservoir - the dam lake supplying the capital.
• The granite domes - the boulders and outcrops around the shore.
• The eucalyptus - the plantations covering the surrounding ground.
• The highland light - the clear plateau air the drive out is for.

When to go

Year round; the highland climate is mild. Water levels drop through the dry months. Weekends bring visitors from Asmara.

Honest expectations

Facilities are minimal and there is little to do beyond walking and sitting. Swimming is not permitted in the supply reservoir. Photography restrictions apply and infrastructure should not be photographed.

Nearby

Asmara is northeast, and the escarpment is west.