The Mai Wu’ui’i Hot Springs Tour

Hot springs that purportedly cure rheumatism and other ailments are to be found all along the Rift Valley, they are a constant reminder that somewhere down the earth is still active; hot magma (boiling rocks and minerals) “cooks” the surface, including water that flows and erupts as springs at weak spots on the surface.

Geoscientists have found out that the depth of magma below the Danakil Depression and surrounding areas is about 5-10 kilometers below the surface. As a result, many hot springs are located within the Dankalia and the adjourning escarpments. These hot springs are locally used as natural healing waters and thousands of people visit a half dozen springs every year. The water temperature in these springs is inevitably high: with frequent values being 49-60 degrees centigrade.

Chemically the water, whose medical value has been realized by the ancient people, is mostly sulfurous and to some degree saline and ferruginous. The chemical composition indicates that the springs are closely associated with the recent volcanicity of the area. Two major spa sites that Eritrea is fortunate enough to have are Akwaar and Mai-Wui. Both are located approximately 8-10km north of Gahtelai on the Asmara-Massawa road.