Valley of Marvels

The Dakata valley east of Harar, usually called the Valley of Marvels, is filled with granite formations weathered into columns, mushrooms and stacks, with boulders balanced on narrow pedestals in arrangements that look deliberate and are not. The road to Jijiga runs through the middle of it, so the formations are seen from the car with pull-offs for a closer look, and the best cluster is a short walk from the road. The rock is the same that underlies the Babille sanctuary next door, and camels and goats graze between the pillars. There is nothing built and no interpretation; the site is a landscape rather than an attraction, and half an hour of walking among the stacks is what it amounts to.

The landscape

• Balanced boulders - rocks perched on narrow weathered pedestals.
• Granite columns - pillars and stacks across the valley floor.
• Grazing herds - camels and goats among the formations.
• The roadside setting - the Jijiga road running through the middle.

When to go

October to March for comfortable temperatures; the valley is hot and exposed. Early morning and late afternoon give the strongest shadows on the rock. It combines with Babille on the same day from Harar.

Before you go

There are no facilities, signage or paths; it is a roadside landscape. The main road carries fast traffic including trucks to Jijiga, so pulling over needs care. Heat and lack of shade are the main discomfort. Climbing on the balanced rocks is unwise.

Nearby

Babille sanctuary is adjacent; Harar lies west.