Bandar Abbas
Iran · Asia
About Bandar Abbas
Bandar Abbas is a port city in the Central District of Bandar Abbas County, Hormozgan Province, Iran serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. Bandar Abbas is a port on the southern coast of the country, on the Persian Gulf.
The city occupies a strategic position on the narrow Strait of Hormuz (just across from Musandam Governorate, Oman). It is the location of the main base and headquarters of the Iranian Navy.
Bandar Abbas has always been a port, and as such its various names have all reflected this function. The most common name over time was Gamrūn, with various spellings. In Henry Yule's dictionary of Anglo-Indian jargon two etymologies are given; the first derived from gümrük, "customhouse" (from Late Greek kommerkion, from Latin commercium, "commerce"). The second, which Yule found much more convincing, comes from Persian kamrūn, "shrimp" (in Portuguese: camarão, similar to the former Portuguese name). Its current name derives from that of Abbas the Great (r. 1588–1629) paired with bandar – "port", meaning "Port of Abbas".
Bandar Abbas travel guide
Understand
Bandar Abbas is a port town and many of its residents come from other parts of Iran for work. It is inadvisable to swim in the sea as it is polluted. The original inhabitants of Bander Abbas are known as Banduris and can often be spotted for their colourful clothing and burqas. Most of the city shuts down between 14:00 and 18:00, as it is too hot to do anything but the mildest activities.
Getting there
By plane There are domestic flights to Isfahan, Shiraz, Mashad and Tehran, and an International connection to Dubai.
By train There are daily trains from Tehran and Mashhad, with trains running from Isfahan every second day.
1 Bandar Abbas railway station (ایستگاه راهآهن بندرعباس) (North of the city, not within walking distance, but there are plenty of buses and taxis). (updated Apr 2022)
By car
By bus There are buses to and from Tehran, Kerman, Shiraz and others. The bus terminal is on the east side of the city around 5 km out by the coast and is signposted in English from the edge of the city.
By boat Travelling by boat is common in the Strait of Hormuz as distances are short and there are numerous islands. There are several weekly international ferries from Sharjah, an hour north of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, run by Valfajr Shipping Company. Also, National Ferries Company runs ferries from Khasab, the Omani enclave located at the tip of Musandam Peninsula. Daily local ferries connects with the nearby islands of Hormuz and Qeshm. Being a major freight port, freighter travel to Bandar Abbas from Pakistan and India might be a possible alternative.
See
Bandar isn’t blessed with a lot of must-see sights – actually, none – but it’s not totally devoid of flavour. The lively bazaar rambles its way across two blocks just back from the seafront, and is probably the most colourful part of town. A seafront promenade leads east and has an evening flea market. At its end, the busy fish market is full of charismatic old salts happy to pose for pictures with their catch. Work on the huge mosque a few metres east of the bazaar seems to have restarted despite local concerns that the engineering is not good enough for a major earthquake zone.
Cultural Museum of Handicrafts
Do
Genoo thermal spring, Sirjan Road (34 km northeast of Bandar Abbas). This spring is 34 km northeast of town, on the Bandar Abbas - Sirjan Road. The water from this spring, which is high in dissolved calcium and sulfates, is also used for irrigating the palm groves or plantations as well as for bathing purposes. There are two segregated pools for ladies and gents. (updated Mar 2024)
Sleep
Budget Mema Pazir Bouali, US$15 for 4 beds, $11 for a double Kowsar Hotel, $37 for a twin room Budgeteers (solo travellers in particular) won't have an easy time in Bandar. Be prepared to spend big, or head elsewhere.
Mid-range
Splurge 1 Hormoz Hotel (هتل هرمز), ☏ +98 920 218 4280. (updated Apr 2017) 2 Bandar Abbas Homa Hotel (هتل هما), ☏ +98 76 3351 9513. (updated Apr 2017)
Go next
Qeshm Island is a nice island just a thirty minute boat ride away. Minab has a lively bazaar.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.