Berbera: Where the Desert Meets the Sea

Drive north from Hargeisa and the land drops away. The highland air thins out, the road winds down through dry hills, and after two or three hours the horizon turns blue. Berbera, the capital of the Sahil region, sits on the Gulf of Aden with the only sheltered harbour on the southern side of the gulf. That single fact explains almost everything about its long history, and much of its future.

Two thousand years of trade

Historians believe Berbera is Malao, a port described in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, a merchant’s guide to the Indian Ocean written in the first century AD. In the sixteenth century, the Ottoman admiral Selman Reis wrote about its commerce. From 1884 until 1941, it served as the capital of British Somaliland, before the administration moved inland to Hargeisa.

The ancient trade routes that passed through ports like this one are the subject of our cover story, The Ancient Treasure That Linked Somaliland to Rome.

A Berbera that moved with the seasons

For much of its history, Berbera was not a year-round town. Before it became a major port, it was a seasonal settlement, inhabited only during the cooler months. Each year, from roughly October or November to April, a great fair gathered here, one that the historian Mordechai Abir counted among the most important commercial events on the east coast of Africa. When the heat returned, the town emptied again.

The rhythm has not entirely gone. Residents still head for milder weather in summer, a tradition known as xagaa-bax. Rain, meanwhile, is a rarity: Berbera receives only about 52 millimetres a year, falling on five to eight days. For a visitor, the lesson is the same one the traders learned centuries ago. Come in the cool season, and the coast is at its most welcoming.

The old town of Berbera

Berbera’s historic quarter dates largely from the Ottoman-Egyptian period. Coral-stone merchant houses, carved wooden balconies and old mosques line narrow lanes. Many buildings are cracked or propped up, and some are being restored. It is a place for slow walking, ideally in the early morning with a local guide, who can explain what each house once was.

“The only sheltered harbour on the southern side of the Gulf of Aden explains almost everything about Berbera.”

Layers of history in Berbera’s streets

The Ottoman-Egyptian houses are only one layer. In 2018, The Economist described a walk that leads from an old American air base, past the buildings where the British ran the territory from the late nineteenth century until independence in 1960, to Moscow Village, where Russian technicians once lived. The same report noted whitewashed mosques and even a synagogue glimpsed down Berbera’s alleys, and limestone villas that still show arched colonnades and latticed windows. In one stroll, the town spans several empires and eras. For how the years after 1960 shaped the region, read Somaliland vs Somalia: What’s the Difference?

Berbera beaches and the fish market

The long sandy shores of Batalale and Bathela are the main draw. Expect open space rather than resorts.

The day starts early at the fish market near the port, and small restaurants nearby grill the morning’s catch. Alcohol is not available.

A port on the rise

Berbera’s harbour is also being remade. Since 2021, DP World has operated a new container terminal here, with an economic zone growing alongside, and the airport’s 4,140-metre runway is another legacy of the city’s strategic value. The full story of the port, and why it matters for Ethiopia and the wider region, is in Berbera Port: Why It Matters for the Region.

Practical notes for visiting Berbera

Berbera lies roughly 150 to 160 kilometres from Hargeisa. Shared taxis run between the two cities, and the trip is better as an overnight stay than a day trip. Timing matters: average daily highs reach about 40°C or more from June to September, so plan your visit for the cooler months, roughly October to March. When you need a break from the heat, read about Sheikh, the mountain town above the clouds.

For trips beyond town, a driver and security escort are often required; arrange them through a trusted local guide, and check the latest official advice and Is Somaliland Safe? before you go. Always ask before photographing the port, military sites or people. Entry rules are covered in our guide to Somaliland visas and entry in 2026.

Sources

1. DP World and Somaliland open new terminal at Berbera Port, DP World, 24 June 2021.
2. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, trans. W. H. Schoff, Fordham University Sourcebooks.
3. Somalia travel advice: regional risks, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
4. Berbera, Wikipedia.
5. Somaliland’s inviting Ottoman heritage, The Economist, 29 September 2018.

Last checked 28 October 2026. Found an error or something out of date? Tell us.