Bandar Abbas

Introducing Bandar Abbas

For a city founded by one of Persia’s greatest kings, Shah Abbas I, and named in his honour, the bustling ‘Port of Abbas’ is less charismatic than you might expect. Strategically positioned overlooking the Strait of Hormoz and the entrance to the Persian Gulf, the city, known to most Iranians simply as ‘Bandar’, is home to Iran’s busiest port. Smuggling is big business – everything from cars to carpets circumnavigates the customs inspectors in these parts. Needless to say, if you’re walking along the seafront at night and notice boxes being hurriedly unloaded from a dark-coloured speedboat, resist the temptation to offer to help with the haulage.

Bandar’s fast-growing population is a mix of Persians, Bandaris, Arabs and Africans, with a large Sunni minority and a long- established Hindu community. Depending on your perspective, Bandar Abbas is either delightfully seedy with the audible whisper of smugglers, or an uninspiring and overpriced stepping-off point for the more languid nearby islands.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009