Why visit Wendo
Townapedia lists 1 place to stay in and around town.
Weather in Wendo
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Wendo
Aleta Wendo (also known as Wendo) is a town in southern Ethiopia. Located in a fertile and forested area near Lake Abaya in the upper Gidabo River basin, not far from the sources of the Ganale Dorya and Dawa Rivers in the Aleta Wendo Zone of the Sidama Regional State, this town has a longitude and latitude of 6°36′N 38°25′E with an elevation of 2037 meters above sea level. It is the administrative center of Aleta Wendo woreda.
From the Wikipedia article Aleta Wendo (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Gas and EV charging2
Healthcare1
History
Dejazmach Balcha Safo, Governor of Sidamo, originally constructed his ketema, or fortified camp, in Wendo, but he later moved it to Hagere Selam. While passing through the area in February 1909, Dr. Drake Brockman notes that the governor of Western Sidamo, Dejazmach Tessema Nadew, made this town (which he calls "Alata") his headquarters. American naturalists arrived at Wendo village on 29 December 1926, and camped outside the village for a while. Grazmach Kebede Dihala Mikael, the village potentate, implored them to camp near his house, explaining that there were plenty of shiftas or outlaws in the area.
Wendo was occupied by the Italian Laghi Division on 30 November 1936. It was retaken by the 1st Gold Coast Regiment on 22 May 1941, without a single shot fired. The Allied forces accepted the surrender of a Brigadier General and some 3,000 prisoners.
By 1958, Wendo was one of 27 places in Ethiopia ranked as a First Class Township. Telephone service reached the town within the next 10 years.
From the History section of Aleta Wendo on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Map of Wendo
4 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Hawassa Airport (AWA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 56 km away.
- Ch’iko 9 km west, about 9 min by car
- Yirga ‘Alem 17 km north, about 17 min by car
- Hāgere Selam 17 km southeast, about 17 min by car
- Dīla 23 km southwest, about 23 min by car
- Leku 31 km north, about 31 min by car
- Wenago 36 km southwest, about 36 min by car
- Bedēsa 45 km northwest, about 45 min by car
- Dimtu 49 km northwest, about 49 min by car
- Awasa 52 km north, about 52 min by car
- Sodo 78 km west, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Page built November 4, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.