Iran Off the Beaten Track
Iran has a lot more to offer than only the famous places like Isfahan, Shiraz and Persepolis. Let us take you to the secrets of Iran, remote desert villages, hidden valleys, Kurdish mountain villages, bizar islands, wonderful national parks, isolated churches etc. Here are our 10 Best Kept Secrets of Iran
Kurdish Mountain Villages
In the west of Iran lies Kurdistan, a rugged mountain landscape with beautiful alpine villages and extremely hospitable people. There you find beautiful mountainvillages like Howraman and Palangan. The friendly Kurds are recognizable by their baggy trousers and have their own culture and traditions.
Hormuz Island
A small and hot island in the Persian Gulf. But the nature of this small island is beautiful. At least if you are open to the whims of Mother Nature. The island is a geological miracle, consisting of lunar landscapes in the most diverse shapes and colours. You can visit salt mountains and salt caves full of imposing crystals. Look out from impressive cliffs over deserted beaches and the Persian Gulf. Visit valleys with jagged rock formations that take on all kinds of shapes, not surpringly named the 'Valley of Statues'. Then there's an enchanting red coloured beach, and the island is a haven for Iranian backpackers as well, giving it a very mellow vibe.
Nayband
Perhaps the most beautiful village in the desert, and certainly one of the most beautiful villages in Iran, is also one of the most isolated. Like an impregnable fortress, Nayband towers over the desert. This village is built on a steep hill. The houses on the edge form a fortress wall, on the edge of the village are round watchtowers. At the foot of Nayband beautiful gardens: rice fields, date palms, pomegranate trees and orange trees. Walk a little and you're in the desert.
Armenian Churches around Jolfa
In the borderland with Armenia and Azerbaijan you will find ancient Armenian churches, all on isolated spots in rough mountain valleys. The area used to be part of the great Armenian empire. Most churches and monasteries you will find around the bordertown of Jolfa.
Valley of Alamut
An area full of beautiful villages, small villages and imposing castles, all reminders of the Hashassins, warriors from the 11th century. There are about 20 castles in this area, the most famous one the Castle of Alamut. It's a great area for hiking, with longer trails leading over the mountains to the Caspian Sea.
Tabriz
One of the lesser visited cities of Iran, but it has a lot to offer and is a great place to visit many sites around Tabriz. It has the largest bazar of the country, the imposing Blue Mosque and don't forget to visit Kandovan, with troglodyte houses in tuff rocks, a city full of rock dwellings. You can sleep there too!
Minab Thursday market
Once a week the small town of Minab comes alive. Every thursday there is a market, a great place to see the Bandari culture. These are Arabic people living on the Iranian Gulf. The women still wear traditional masks, which are sold on the market as well. If you want to buy a camel, goat or some sheep, this is a great place too.
Mesr, Dasht-e Kavir desert
Picture a small, one-way street village, surrounded by sand dunes, in the middle of the desert, far away from everything; welcome to Mesr.
This is a great place for dune bashing, camel treks, hiking on sand dunes, or just simply enjoy the beauty of the desert and the skies full of stars at night in pure silence. It has a lot of friendly eco-hotels.
Babak Castle of Kaleybar
One of the most imposing castles in Iran is near the village of Kaleybar. Here is the imposing Babak castle, which rises high above the landscape. It is a steep climb to the castle, which is a symbol for the proud Azeris in Iran. At the foot of the climb, Shah Savan nomads have stored their tents.
You can climb all the way up en enjoy great views over the surrounding mountains and valleys.
Golestan
The oldest national park of Iran is in Golestan on the Northeast of the country. It is home to bears, jackals, gazelles, deer, boar, ibex and the Persian leopard. The latter is the largest leopard species in the world, and also one of the rarest. You can also learn more about the culture of the Turkmen nomads who roam the region and live in yurts.
Also in Golestan you will find the wonderful rolling hills around Khaled Nabi.
