Bandar Abbas: the gateway to the Strait of Hormuz

The island of Hormuz, accessible by ferry from Bandar Abbas, preserves colored rock formations known as the 'rainbow mountains' due to the mineral variety in the terrain.

A few minutes from the port, the Qeshm Bazaar animates brisk trade in fragrant spices, colorful textiles, and crafts typical of Iran's southern coastal region.

Proceeding to Qeshm island, one reaches the Valley of Stars, an unusual geological formation sculpted by erosion into fantastical shapes at the heart of the island.

As evening approaches, waterfront restaurants serve fresh fish according to the culinary traditions of the Persian Gulf coast.

The Strait of Hormuz, the narrowest point between the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean measuring just thirty-eight kilometres across, remains one of the most strategically vital maritime passages in the entire world for international crude oil transport.

The island of Hormuz, colonised in the sixteenth century by the Portuguese as a commercial outpost towards Asia, still preserves the remains of an imposing fortress built by Europeans on the highest elevation dominating the entire island.