Puntland

Capital of Puntland, Garoowe is the heart of the region and houses the regional parliament, presidential palace and government ministries as well as a local media and cultural hub. Goat and camel raising form the basis of the economy, and frankincense and myrrh are collected from wild trees. Garowe is the third largest city in Puntland after Bosaso and Galkayo.

The easternmost point of the African Continent, Cape Guardafui gets its name from ancient Italian meaning “look and escape”. Whilst the areas treacherous waters were once the site of countless shipwrecks, today the unspoilt white sand beaches and blue waters rolling beneath stretches of towering sandstone cliffs make for a rewarding visit.

The Italian Somaliland authorities built the first lighthouse on the headland, inaugurated in April 1924 as the Francesco Crispi Lighthouse. It was a simple, functional metal-framed lighthouse built atop the headland.
A large-scale rebellion against Italian rule in that part of Italian Somaliland was underway at the time and the lighthouse suffered some damages during the attacks. This was one of the reasons that prompted the authorities to build a stronger, stone and reinforced concrete lighthouse, which was inaugurated in 1930. The striking new lighthouse was built in the shape of an Italian fascist “Fascio littorio”. The lighthouse, which is no longer in use, still has the huge stone axe blade characteristic of fascist symbolism and typical of fascist architecture promoted by Benito Mussolini. Italian authorities have requested a study to declare the lighthouse an “historical monument” of Somalia and a proposed World Heritage Site.

Combine a visit to Puntland with surrounding regions of Somalia and/or Somaliland.