The most fantastic and beautiful island in Iran is Hormuz Island, located in Iran’s Persian Gulf region, also known as Iran’s Rainbow island. This amazing Iran off-beaten usually overlooked by travellers planning trips to Iran but literally for nature lovers, Hormuz is a paradise in any possible words. From red beach to rainbow valley, yes we are here to talk about wonders of colors.
How to go to Hormuz island
You can easily take ferry from Bandar abbas or Qeshm to Hormoz island. Almost every 2 hours there is ferry that take you from Bandar Abbas to Hormuz island. The ticket is quite cheap and costs around 2 to 3 Euro, you can see below more details for ferry schedules:
- Ferry departures from Bandar Abbas to Hormuz Island: 6:45 am, 9:00 am, 12:00 pm, 2:00 pm, 5:00 pm, and 9:30 pm.
- Ferry departures from Hormuz Island to Bandar Abbas: 7:00 am, 10:00 am, 1:30 pm, 3:30 pm, and 7:00 pm.
- Ferry departures from Qeshm Island to Hormuz Island: 7:00 am and 2:00 pm.
- Ferry departures from Hormuz to Qeshm: 8:00 am and 3:00 pm.
There are a few recommendations to get to Hormoz.
Option1: Take flight from any Iran cities to Qeshm and then take ferry from Qeshm to Hormoz.
Option 2: Take flight or bus from any Iran cities to Bandar Abbas and then take ferry from Bandar Abbas to Hormoz.
You can book your Iran flights to Qeshm or Bandar Abbas here.
Exploring Hormuz – Iran’s Rainbow island
Hormoz is a small island and surprisingly unspoiled area so cannot expect modern stuff there. Therefore, for looking around the island you have limited choices, including Tuk Tuk and bike.
Tuk Tuks
For those who traveled to India, Tuk-Tuk is a familiar transportation vehicle although, unlike Indian drivers, Homroz drivers usually drive more carefully and less noisy.
Most who visit will lap the island by a hired tuk-tuk from just outside the gates at the port.
This is the most time-efficient way of seeing Hormuz, so day-trippers- this is the option for you.
Rent a Bike
Renting a bike can be a good choice for those who want some more activities and adventure. But first, bear in mind that Homroz perimeter road is around 24km.
If you show up on the first ferry you can do the bike trip on a day trip to Hormuz but to not put time constraints on yourself, alternatively, you can take a bike trip and spend at least a night on the island to chill more.
How long to visit Hormuz
All Hormoz places can be seen in one day and usually, those come Hormoz are day-tripper from Qeshm or Bandar Abbas. Depends on your itinerary and your taste in travel, one or two days can be enough to make the most of Hormoz sightseeing. Below you can see a NASA picture from Iran’s Rainbow island, Hormuz.
Hormoz Accommodations
As mentioned earlier the Island is quite unspoiled and intact from development, so for staying at night, there are some guestrooms and ecolodges that costs around 10 Euros. A truly local experience which is Eco-friendly and besides you can closely experience the local lifestyle.
You can book your hotels in Hormuz island here.
Things to do in Hormuz – Iran’s Rainbow island
Depending on how long you want to stay on island you can visit partly or all below mentioned places in this unknown little gem:
Salt Mountain
Once you heading the road counter-clockwise, shortly you’ll find yourself on a short trek to a mountain of petrified salt creating colorful, shining towers and interesting formations. there is no guard or barricade there and no entrance fee. everything is pure nature without any manmade stuff.
Rainbow Valley
The most famous place in Hormoz is Rainbow valley and mainly Hormoz known as Rainbow island because of this valley. Literally an awesome view in any possible words. everything looks painted in purples, red, green, orange and makes an admirable view of nature. The reason for all these colors is the layers of volcanic rock laid out unevenly while cooling.
Valley of Statues
A bizarre formation of rock to different shapes like dragons, birds, etc makes a mysterious scenery with so many myths behind. The things become more interesting when the path will end to an amazing viewpoint for looking at Mofanagh beach, a beautiful clash between sea and vertical cliffs. You can always find some Persian hippies there with some local instruments while playing music.
Red Beach
Shortly before you go toward the south shore of the island the road turns the most vibrant red- like neon, Mars on crack, which should give you a slight indicator of what’s coming ahead. A red clay mine is there and that is the reason why the beach is red.
Rainbow cave
The Rainbow Cave, often mistaken for the Rainbow Valley, is located in the southeastern part of the island. This cave is created by the flow of water to the sea and its passage under the salt mountain.
Inside the cave, sedimentary and salt rocks are stacked layer by layer, creating a smooth surface just like a rainbow. The most beautiful part of the cave is the end where the colors reach their peak. The color spectrum seen in this cave is about seventy spectrums.
Portuguese Fort
The Fort of Our Lady of the Conception, also known as the Portuguese Castle, is a red stone fortress on Hormuz Island, Iran. It is one of the last surviving monuments of Portuguese colonial rule in the Persian Gulf. Ormuz was an important maritime city and a small kingdom near the entrance to the Persian Gulf. Partly destroyed but worth visiting.
Ahmad Nadalian’s Museum and Art Gallery
The Museum and Gallery of Dr. Ahmad Nadalian in Hormoz Island shows the works of this artists who is internationally known as one of the most active environmental artists. Now most of Nadalian works are scattered across the earth. His environmental art projects, include the carving of rocks that can be found in many countries.
Where to eat in Hormuz
There are a few supermarkets, cafes, and restaurants island-wide which mostly are a simple, cozy and friendly atmosphere. they usually serve local foods like Falafel, Tahini, Shrimp&rice, etc. For tourist who has no tour guide choosing dishes can be a bit a challenge as the Menu and staff usually speak in Persian, but as in the village there is 3G Data connection so just search about dishes before ordering.
