Apart from symmetrical mosques, eye-catching mansions, and magnificent ruins, Iran’s diverse and dramatic landscape reveals a wealth of unspoiled scenery that will surprise nature lovers.

Giant dunes, deep caves, rugged coastlines, dense forests, coral islands, and rock formations have combined to make some of the most spectacular sceneries in the ancient land.

If your office hours and daily commute aren’t a fitting reminder of the changing nature, you may get some inspiration from these incredible scenes:

Mount Damavand

At 5,610 meters above sea level, more than 65 kilometers northeast of Tehran, Mount Damavand is the highest mountain in Western Asia and a worthy challenge for any experienced climber.

Visible from Tehran on a clear day, the mountain bears snow throughout the year and features prominently in Persian folklore and literature.

Maranjab Desert

Situated two hours from Kashan in Isfahan province, the Maranjab Desert boasts some of the sandiest dunes in the country.

Most Iranian deserts are salty, rocky, or dirty, but Maranjab offers stereotypical desert images. You can combine your trip with a visit to a nearby salt lake, with the opportunity to rest your head at the ruins of a 16th-century caravanserai.

Masal forest

Masal forest in the northern Gilan province is an area of outstanding natural beauty that offers excellent hiking trails for tourists.

The mountainous Masal region, an eight-hour drive from Tehran, has popular hiking trails but few shops and hotels, so it’s best to bring your own.

The combination of green lowlands and mountain forests provides a delightful contrast to the rugged landscape of southern Iran.

Filband

Located in the north of Mazandaran province, Filband is famous for its pristine nature and feeling lost above the clouds.

With mountain meadows bordered by grazing sheep and cabins nestled behind trees, a weekend in the secluded countryside promises to soothe your mind and wash away the worries of big city life.

Qeshm Island

Qeshm Island conjures up images of unblemished white-sand beaches, lapped by clear turquoise waters. The vast island is fringed with biologically diverse mangrove forests, attractive beaches, and 60 Bandari villages.

Its blistering interior features geologically significant canyons, hills, caves, and valleys, most of which are protected as part of the UNESCO-recognized Qeshm Island Geopark– bliss for nature lovers. Moreover, the sun-scorched island is heaven for wildlife, including birds, reptiles, dolphins, and turtles.

Badab-e Surt

The fascinating rock formations of Badab-e Surt are a must-see natural wonder. Situated in Mazandaran province, it consists of golden, orange, and red terraces of sedimentary rock formed from mineral deposits from nearby hot springs.

The sediments and mineral waters from these springs have, over time, formed complex layers of different colors and sizes on the hillside. The heights and hills around the pine forests, the bushes, the bushes and valleys, and the springs were wonderful.

Margoon waterfall

Margun waterfall is hidden in the mountains of the Sepidan region in the southwest. It is a nature lover’s paradise thanks to its magnificent fountains and rivers.

There are many flowers on both sides of the path through the waterfall. Spring and summer are the best times to visit Magoon falls. Because in winter there can be snow on the roads and it is dangerous to get here.

Ali Sadr cave

It is a massive river-cave system that embraces a huge matrix of sunless channels and ponds that is stretched for kilometers through imposing rock formations.

The entrance to Ali Sadr cave is situated some 70km north of Hamadan in west-central Iran. Sightseers are offered paddle boats to go through well-lit labyrinths of waterways.

AM