Iran - Andrew Burke [248]
Boat
Regular speedboats (open/closed IR14,000/20,000, 40/25 minutes) run between Qeshm’s Sangi Pier and Bandar Abbas. There is also usually one ferry everyday to/from Bahman Port (one way, IR25,000, one hour), at the south end of Qeshm Town.
With a vehicle, Qeshm is a good place to lose a couple of days wandering around the quiet roads. A car ferry crosses from Bandar-e Pol to Laft-e Kohneh, near Laft. Departures depend on demand.
GETTING AROUND
Shared taxis, minibuses and occasional pik-ups (utilities) take passengers along the north and south coastal roads. Chartering a taxi for about IR40,000 an hour or IR160,000 a day is recommended if you want to go anywhere beyond Laft, or if you plan a late return to Qeshm Town. Hitching is also possible.
Qeshm Town
Qeshm Town is the island’s largest town and, apart from a single resort, is the only place with accommodation. The town has a long history but not that much to show for it. The main north-south road begins at Pasdaran Sq, near the Eskele Sangi (Sangi Pier) from where speedboats to/from Bandar operate. It’s called Montazeri Ave but this road becomes Valiasr Ave and finally Imam Golikhan Blvd as it heads south.
INFORMATION
Bank Melli (Pasdaran Sq; 9am-1.30pm for exchange) Change money upstairs.
Coffeenet ( 524 0575; Felestin St; internet per hr IR10,000; 10.30am-9pm) Under the Pardis Mall.
Dr S Ahang Pharmacy ( 522 8055; Montazeri Ave; 24hr) Outside Fatima Al Zahra General Hospital.
International Phone Office (Montazeri Ave; 8am-2pm & 4-10pm Sat-Thu, 4-10pm Fri) Charges IR2000 a minute to most countries.
Jazireh Money Exchange (Valiasr Blvd; 8am-1pm & 6-8pm Sat-Thu) Under Pardis Mall.
Post Office (Valiasr Ave)
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
The crumbling Ghal’e-ye Portoghaliha (Portuguese Castle; admission free) is Qeshm Town’s best-known sight, but once you’ve photographed the palm tree through a curved hole in the ramparts (like everyone else) it won’t detain you for long. We preferred the Qeshm Geopark Museum ( 522 5930; Valiasr Blvd; admission free; 9am-noon & 5-8pm Sat-Thu), with its mix of cultural, natural and geological exhibits. Turtles, Siamese twin goats and a pygmy white-toothed shrew (‘the smallest mammal on earth’?!?!) are among the exhibits.
The extensive Bazar-e Bozorg (off Pasdaran Sq) and the newer but uninspiring duty-free malls along this strip are the main attractions for Iranian visitors.
Diving
The diving off Qeshm is reportedly far better than that off Kish. Impressive coral reefs in less than 10m can be dived off nearby Larak and Hengam Islands, and the wrecks of three ships sunk during the Iran–Iraq War, at depths of 27m to 43m. Water is flattest during April and May. Diving can be arranged through two operators that run beginners courses and charter dives.
Dolphin Diving School ( 021-7763 2085, 0912 193 4194) is a Tehran-based company run by English-speaking Siamak Derakhshan. Boat and shore diving is available. Dives with/without certificate cost from IR250,000/350,000, including equipment and depending on how far the boat needs to go. Contact the school several days in advance.
Alternatively, the Golden Beach Resort (right) has a dive shop that also runs diving courses.
SLEEPING
All but one of the island’s sleeping options is in Qeshm Town. The cheapest places are concentrated on Imam Khomeini Ave a short walk from the Eskele Sangi.
Khalija Fars Hotel ( 522 3027; cnr Imam Khomeini Ave & Imam Khomeini Sq; r IR100,000; ) One of a couple of cheapies nearby, this is nothing to write home about but the friendly management make up for basic rooms with hard beds. Bathrooms are shared.
Golestan Apartment Hotel ( 522 1707; Imam Khomeini Ave; s/tw IR150,000/200,000; ) There are only eight rooms that are relatively attractive (ie, they have attached bathrooms), are reasonably priced and thus often full. Book ahead.
Two midrange options are on a hill overlooking the town about 1km walk from Pasdaran Sq; head west along Imam Khomeini Ave to Jahed Sq, take Sayadan Blvd up the hill and follow Azadegan Blvd about