A grouping of more than 200 islands off the Red Sea coast, the Dahlak Archipelago is populated by around 2500 people of the Tigre and Afar tribes living mostly as fishers on Dahlak Kebir (the largest island of the chain). While it isn't always open to tourists, those lucky enough to visit can expect pristine beaches, traditional local culture and a wealth of historic sites (particularly from the Ottoman era) on the other side of the 70km trip from Massawa.