Lying 139km south of Asmera, Senafe is the last Eritrean town of any size
before the Ethiopian border and is famous as the site of the ancient
city of Metera.
The latter lies clearly visible on a large plain to the east of the road, 2km
south of Senafe. Apart from the site of Metera, Senafe is known for the huge outcrops
that dominate the plain. One can hike to the top of Amba
Metera, one of the outcrops, in about one hour, though there are various routes
with varying degrees of difficulty. The most popular route takes 45 to 60 minutes
and is in parts a scramble over boulders; in one place, a fixed rope helps you
up a short section in which grooves are chiselled into the rock. Heavy or bulky
camera equipment should be left behind. From the top there is a great panoramic
view that rrecalls Senafe´s name, which is supposedly derived fro the Arabic:
"Can you see Sana´a?" It is better to hike early in the morning,
as it gets very hazy later on.
