TEHRAN – The Persian Gulf island of Qeshm has recorded over 27,000 tourist arrivals in two days, a local official has said.

On Wednesday and Thursday, over 27,000 travelers arrived on the island through Laft and Pohl piers, Mohammad Saeid Akhundi explained on Saturday.

Tourist arrivals on this island increased by 75 percent compared to the same period last year, the official added.

This increase in tourist arrivals has been attributed to the improvement of the island’s tourism infrastructure and increased promotion of its attractions, he noted.

Qeshm Island is heaven for eco-tourists as it embraces wide-ranging attractions such as the Hara marine forests and about 60 villages dotted mostly across its rocky coastlines.

The island also features geologically eye-catching canyons, hills, caves, and valleys, most of which are protected as part of the UNESCO-tagged Qeshm Island Geopark, itself a haven for nature lovers.

Many travelers to Qeshm believe that the Stars Valley or Valley of Stars is a “MUST SEE.” It is home to bizarre-shaped gorges, tall pillars, canyon-like paths, hollowed-out spaces as well as smooth and round stones, which have been formed by the wind and rain eroding the soil, rocks and stones. Locals believe that a star once fell on this area, thereby creating the rocky shapes that make it seem as if from another planet.

ABU/AM