Kish Island

Introducing Kish Island

‘Oh, but have you been to Kish? You absolutely must go.’ Travelling in Iran you’ll likely hear this more than once. And when you ask what is so special about Kish, you’re told: ‘But Kish is wonderful; everything works there. It is clean, shopping is cheap, you can swim…and there are no Paykans!’

Yes, all of this is true. Kish, the desert island that the last shah started transforming into a playground for the rich and famous during the 1960s, is now seen by Iranians the way Americans view Hawaii. The island is both a novelty – for most Iranians this is the only beach resort they’ll ever be able to visit – and more liberated than the rest of Iran. Kish is a free-trade zone and, as one islander told us, many Iranians understand the ‘free’ to apply to social activities as well.

Kish is booming. Hotels, shopping centres and theme parks are emerging from the sand to cater to migrant workers on ‘change visa’ runs and more than one million Iranians a year. But for foreigners, used to swimming and sunbathing with their partners and with no interest in duty-free DVD players, the appeal isn’t so great. And it’s expensive.

However, there are reasons to visit Kish. The resort water-sports make a pleasant diversion, there are a few ancient sights and cycling around the island on the coastal bike path is fun. More than anything else, though, it’s the relaxed atmosphere that appeals to Iranians, many of whom treat the island as something of a mental-health break – it’s not a bad approach.

Arriving after 2009 you should see the distinctive tower of the Flower of the East Hotel (www.floweroftheeast.com), part of an enormous resort being built on Kish’s northeast corner; and the 500-room Cyrus Hotel, said to be both ‘seven-star’ and the world’s first fully solar-powered hotel.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009