The Top 10 Things To Do And See In Qeshm

When most people think about travel in Iran, they think of Shiraz and Isfahan, the big brothers of Iranian history and civilization. Few think of Iran as an island destination when, in fact, there are two major islands: Kish and Qeshm. Both islands are free-trade zones, and foreign tourists require no visa for up to 14 days. These islands are not your ‘typical’ islands in the sense that you should not expect palm tree-lined beaches and bikini-clad women, but they are rich in terms of ecotourism and geotourism. Qeshm, the largest, dolphin-shaped Persian Gulf island has a plethora of natural attractions, from pristine islands to forests, valleys to caves, and all the wildlife and cultural heritage in between. The Culture Trip explores the top ten things to do and see on Qeshm Island.

1. Hara Forest

Forest

Located just behind Qeshm’s northern ‘fin,’ this forest is an 8,000-hectare biosphere reserve of mangroves, or hara as they are known locally. The mangroves, roots, and sludgy beds surface during the low tide, but this forest disappears during the high tide. The mangroves are rooted in the salt water of the Persian Gulf, but the filtration system of the bark extracts the salt, allowing sweet water to reach the leaves. This forest is mainly used for fishing, tourist boats, and a small amount of leaf-cutting for livestock feed. Sea turtles, crabs, shrimp, snakes, herons, cranes, and pelicans are among the animals that call this forest home.