Visiting Abourma Rock Art Site in Djibouti: What to expect
Djibouti is home to the spectacular Abourma Rock Art site, featuring engravings that date back over 7,000 years. These works showcase how the landscape has changed over millennia and highlight the innovative spirit of early humans. This was definitely a highlight of our Djibouti itinerary, and I highly recommend making the bumpy journey out here if you’re visiting the country.
Djibouti is currently working to secure a UNESCO World Heritage designation for the site.
This post really is an excuse to share all my pictures from the site. It was so amazing!!
About Abourma’s History
These rock artworks were uncovered by a team of French archaeologists in 2008. Located about 30km northeast of Randa, the site is only accessible on foot. Many of the engravings depict animals that are no longer found in the area: giraffes, cows, antelopes, ostriches, and even rhinos! Human figures are also represented. Plus, things I can only assume are aliens.
At Abourma, some 900 panels depict prehistoric life, many showing dramatic scenes of early humans confronting wildlife. The rock art offers a valuable record of a bygone era and a land drastically reshaped by climate change. While the wildlife illustrated are still found on Africa’s plains today, they have vanished from Djibouti’s desert landscape.
Getting to Abourma Rock Art Site
The rock art is in the middle of nowhere. You have two main options for logistics:
Day Forest Camp: We used this as our base the night before + after but keep in mind it’s still a two-hour, bumpy drive to the trailhead.
Camping at the site: You could potentially drive from Djibouti City all day and camp right at the entrance of the hike. We saw another car heading there as we were leaving, and it’s a great way to beat the heat by starting your hike early without the long morning drive. The camp here may be more rustic than others based on what I saw around though.
After the hike, instead of returning to Day Forest Camp, I suggest going to Randa if it’s possible. We drove by Hôtel Leele the next day and it looked really nice!
For us, it was a two-hour bumpy drive from Day Forest Camp. Our car got a flat tire on the way, which our guide changed in about 20 minutes, but keep the rough terrain in mind when planning. We left at 10:00 a.m. and returned by 5:00 p.m., just as the sun began to set.
Flat tire and views while driving to and from the site.
On our drive, we passed a legit caravan: a family with camels carrying their belongings, trailed by dozens of goats! This means they are moving to find a new home.
The Hike
- Entrance: The trail entrance is located here.
- Distance/Time: 8km trek, around 3 hours total (including stops). The art starts around here and ends here.
- Timing: We started the hike at 12:00 p.m. and made it back by 3:00 p.m.
- Intensity: The route goes up and down a mountain but is generally pretty easy, though it gets very hot. I suggest bringing at least one liter of water per person.
- Bring: A hat, 1 liter water per person each, reapply sunscreen.
The Local Guide
When you arrive at the site, local children will go search for the caretaker who knows the route. He isn’t the same government-paid caretaker I had read about online; he mentioned he only learned about the site 2 years ago.
The guide (and your own tour guide) may not be formally trained on the archaeological history of the site; he just knows where to take visitors. Apparently, there is also some sort of archaeologist coming in and out to see the rock art, but the guide doesn’t really know who is visiting.
Car stop and starting the hike
Our own tour guide was also visiting for the first time! If you want a deep dive into the historical explanations, check with your tour company in Djibouti City to see if they can provide a specialized expert, but that’s unlikely. Just read about it online first.
Seeing the Rock Art
There are roughly 15 to 20 prominent rocks with sketches located about an hour’s walk from the parking area. I suggest asking your guide to take you to the furthest spot first, then viewing the panels as you walk back.
Kinda hard to see from a distance
The most stunning pieces are the large rocks featuring giraffes alongside several other animals.
We spotted what looked like antelope, rhinoceros, and ostrich.
Doesn’t this look like a man trying to drag an antelope?
Some pieces were more mysterious, like a human figure near a large circle or a figure riding a creature that looked like a mix between an elephant and a camel.
And then there was another one that had a maybe an elephant or camel-like creature with a sort of human figure holding a bows and arrow on top. We couldn’t really make sense a lot of it, but that just adds to the intrigue.
To really experience this site, you need to visit in person. It’s crazy that these sketches have survived.
Costs
Since we organized this through our tour company, the logistics were covered. However, for context, our driver paid the local guide 2,000 DJF and another 1,000 DJF for tea and coffee. We also tipped the guide 2,000 DJF.
I was exausted after the hike. Guide packed sandwiches for our lunch but we gave them to the site guide.
Can you visit Abourma Rock Art Site yourself?
Probably not. Reaching the Abourma Rock Art Site on your own is nearly impossible because the “road” is barely a road, with several paths jutting off for no apparent reason. Our driver knew the way, but a stranger would easily get lost and there is no one to ask for directions.
Also, to reach the area from Day Forest, you have to pass near the President’s palace, which has a military guard station. You often have to let them know in advance where you are going. This is definitely an adventure best left to the professionals.
We saw an antelope and a fox on our drive!