KISH

Kish Tourist Attractions

Kish has a variety of tourist attractions that can be of much interest to a wide category of tourists. Its untapped nature, beautiful beaches with soft sands and green areas, alongside the clear azure waters of the Persian Gulf have created a unique combination and a calm area.

Due to the short time the tourists have for visiting many places on the island, they usually prefer to visit the following attractions:

Sunset by the Greek Ship

Many years ago, for some unknown reason, a Greek cargo ship got close to Kish’s coasts and was stuck in the mud. Watching the sunset beside this ship is fascinating and interesting. This situation created to rest near the ship is very popular with tourists.

Kish Beaches

The coral beaches of Kish sparkle in the sunlight. This is something, which the sandy beaches of many resort areas around the world do not offer. The seawater near the beach is crystal clear and one can see the bottom of the sea up to a far distance. This is, surely, due to the corals around the island, which purify the water as well as relative to its area, Kish has one of the longest beach stretches. Unlike the crowded beaches elsewhere, the beach here is a relaxing and peaceful place.  The fish and other marine life in the coastal waters of Kish are very unique. Visitors lose track of time when watching these species which are easily visible. The best quality edible fish is caught here. The coastal waters of Kish are among the safest in the world. There are no sharks and swimming is totally safe. You can have memorable time, enjoyable sunbathing in the beaches.

 Dolphin Park Complex

In a big beautiful garden of 70 hectares, where very nice bougainvilleas are wrapped around palm trees, and green plants and colorful flowers present a different nature to the visitors, for the first time in the Middle East, sea mammals and penguins entertain the children and adults alike. More than 20 dolphins, sea lions, sea cats, sea boars, and white whales jump, cruise forward and backward, clap, snore and throw balls in the largest manmade pool on Kish Island as well as the Bird Zoo, Underwater Aquarium, Orchid Garden, Cactus Garden, Silkworm House, and Erupting Volcano are other amusing sectors of the palm grove of the southeastern tip of Kish Island, which attract thousands daily. The visitors enjoy watching many different kind of birds from all over the world, especial and rare cactuses and orchids, the metamorphosis of silkworms and cruising of fish in their natural environments during the daytime, and the erupting of an artificial volcano at nights.

Kish Sea Turtles

The surrounding waters of the coral Island of Kish are habitats for hawksbill and Green turtle species. Green turtles mostly come to Kish waters for feeding while the hawksbill turtles that are facing an extremely high risk of extinction come out on the preserved beaches for egg-laying largely along the southern and western coasts of the Island between mid-March and early August. Which is so amazing is, female sea turtles return to the same beaches where they originally hatched to lay their own eggs. After coordination with "Kish Sea Turtles Conservation & Monitoring Center", during the breeding season and primarily under cover of darkness, tourists can enjoy watching the sea turtles' digging out a nest hole to lay eggs, also the baby sea turtles emerging from their nests and go exactly through the water and enter the Persian Gulf waters as if they knew it before.

The Green Tree Complex

At the end of the longest ancient alluvial path in Kish, surface waters run into the north of the island, to a valley known as the Portuguese Valley, making it a particularly green area.  The Green Tree Complex is built around one of the island's oldest lure trees.The greenery of the enclosure, the buildings, wooden parapets and pavements reminds you the northern parts of Iran.  But, one of the factors attracting tourists to this area is the legendary awe of the Green Tree.  This is the island's oldest lure tree, and has a life of probably 500-600 years.   Thread or material can be seen knotted on the tree branches, making it appear holy at first sight.  Some believe this is an auspicious tree, and so tie pieces of material to it to make their wishes come true.  "The Green Tree Complex", with its beautiful alcoves and numerous barbecue areas has been renovated for the visitors to rest. The pavements lit with lanterns among the evergreen spaces ornate with colorful bougainvillea flowers, all lure you toward the main attraction of the complex. A prayer room, seasonal restaurant, buffets and lavatories are also available in this complex. The Green Tree Complex is bordering to two important tourist attractions in Kish and has two entrances.  One of them is a common door with the "Harireh ancient city", and the other is next to the "Traditional water reservoir".Both places are within walking distance of the Green Tree Complex.

The Ancient Town of Harireh

Most probably the ancient town of Harireh is the same town mentioned by the renowned Persian poet Saadi in his book Golestan.

According to the writings of Iranian and Arab historians, the town of Harireh had been located in the center of the northern part of the island, where the ruins of the city can be seen today.

Visiting this ancient town is an opportunity to familiarize the island’s history while having a nice time at the Green Tree Recreational Complex, situated near the ancient city.

Underground Town of Cariz

The Kish qanat is more than 2,500 years old, and currently it has been converted into an underground town at a depth of 16 meters below the surface, with an area of more than 10,000 sqm. It is amazing to visit for the tourists.

In the reconstruction of this qanat named Cariz, spaces have been allocated to handicraft stalls, restaurants and traditional teahouses, amphitheaters, conference centers, and art galleries.  Efforts have been made to protect the traditional and historic fabric of the site.