Margoon Waterfall

Margoon is unusual among waterfalls in that no river runs over the top of it: the water emerges from thousands of springs in the face of the cliff itself, a limestone wall around seventy metres high and over a hundred wide, so the whole face weeps and the fall comes out of the rock in a broad curtain rather than a single stream. The name means snake-like in the local dialect, from the shape of the water on the rock. It sits in a green valley in the Zagros at around 2,200 metres, and it is at its fullest in spring when snowmelt recharges the aquifer, dropping considerably by late summer. The approach is along the valley with a short walk to the base.

What you actually see

• Water emerging from the cliff face - springs across the whole rock wall.
• A seventy-metre curtain - the fall spread wide rather than concentrated.
• The Zagros valley setting - green mountains at over two thousand metres.
• Spring snowmelt flow - the fall at its fullest in April and May.

When to go

April to June, when snowmelt makes the flow strongest; by late summer it is much reduced. Half a day from Shiraz including the drive. Weekends bring Iranian picnickers in numbers.

Honest expectations

Flow drops sharply after early summer and can be disappointing later in the year. The road up is winding and slow. Weekends and holidays are crowded with picnic parties and litter is a problem. Facilities are basic.

Nearby

Sepidan is the nearest town; Shiraz lies about two hours south-east.