Badab-e Surt

Badab-e Surt is a set of stepped travertine pools on a hillside at about 1,840 metres in the Alborz, formed where two mineral springs of different composition emerge close together: one is very salty and has built white and cream terraces, the other is rich in iron and has stained the rock and water in oranges, reds and browns, so the terraces run through a range of colour down the slope. The pools are shallow and the water is cold. The name means gassy water in the local dialect. It is often compared to Pamukkale in Turkey, which is a fair structural comparison though Badab-e Surt is much smaller and much more coloured. The site sits in open grazing land with a long view over the mountains.

What you actually see

• Stepped travertine terraces - pools built by mineral deposition down a slope.
• Iron staining - orange, red and brown colouring the rock and water.
• Two springs of different chemistry - salt and iron building different deposits.
• The mountain view - open Alborz country around the terraces.

When to go

May to October; snow closes the road in winter. Half a day. Sunrise and sunset light on the terraces is what photographers come for. Weekends bring crowds and the pools suffer.

Honest expectations

The terraces are fragile and walking on them causes damage, which visitors do constantly. The final track is rough. There are no facilities. It is smaller than photographs suggest. Weekend crowds and litter are a real problem.

Nearby

Sari is north on the plain; Filband lies west in the same range.