TEHRAN – Lipar, a small lake which usually turns pink, is an off-the-radar tourist destination in Iran, which has never been introduced completely!

When people look at the lake, they think it is filled with strawberry syrup.

Due to the special type of the soil surrounding the lake, its water surface seems shining with pink color during some five months of the year and it reportedly covers an area of 10 hectares.

The lake and a nearby lagoon of the same name boast beautiful and unique landscapes, a potential attraction for domestic tourists and foreign travelers. They are situated some 20 kilometers east of Chabahar in Sistan-Baluchestan province. Chabahar is a humid port city commonly considered as one of the warmest places in Iran.

Water levels of the seasonal lake routinely depend on the amount of rainfall. Gaz shrubs, whim, and straw are amongst its topmost vegetation. It is also home to flamingos, pelicans, white and gray hawks amongst other birds.

Some environmental experts believe the pink color of the lake is due to planktonic activities. The presence of large plant planktons in the region, and the abundance of organic and materials, in some seasons, leads to a significant increase in biological production.

Such aspects, along with the impact of monsoon storms, which are unique features of the oceanic region of Oman Sea, cause an increase in the number of plant planktons and pure pink color of the lake in December.

The monsoon winds, which flow from the Indian subcontinent in summer, make Chabahar the coolest southern port in the summer and the warmest part of Iran in the winter.

That is why Chabahar is called ‘’four springs’’ in Persian which indicated the fact that the climate is all year long similar to spring.

Chabahar is a beautiful unknown destination, even to most of Iranians. There are good reasons for visiting the region; hospitable people, their unique culture, lifestyle, rituals, historical sights, the scenic Oman Sea, its stunning rare nature surround, and the Chabahar Free Trade-Industrial Zone.

In addition, travelers to the region are amazed at multi-colored mountain ranges, which are famous as the Mars Mountains, located on the route that connects Chabahar to the Hara Forest and Pakistan.

In March 2017, provincial tourism authorities announced putting a new face to Sistan-Baluchestan was on their agenda in a bid to turn it into a tourist destination.

AFM/MQ/MG