Namakdan Salt Cave

The Namakdan salt dome at the western end of Qeshm is a mass of salt pushed up through the overlying rock, and water dissolving through it has cut a cave system that has been surveyed at well over six kilometres, which puts it among the longest salt caves anywhere. Inside are passages of pure salt with stalactites, crystalline walls, salt formations that form and dissolve far faster than limestone equivalents, and a stream running through in places. Because salt is soluble, the cave changes shape year to year in a way that limestone caves do not. Outside, the dome surface is a landscape of white and pink salt with a salt spring and karst hollows, which can be walked without entering the cave.

The landscape

• Passages of solid salt - crystalline walls and salt stalactites.
• A stream inside the cave - running water dissolving the passages.
• The dome surface outside - white and pink salt with karst hollows.
• Rapid change - formations that alter within years, not millennia.

When to go

November to March. Half a day. Cave entry requires a guide and lamps and is not always permitted; the surface of the dome can be walked freely. Avoid rain, which makes the cave dangerous.

Practical notes

Cave access is restricted and depends on guides and conditions; many visitors only see the outside. There is no lighting or walkway inside. Salt is slippery and the passages are unstable in places. There is no shade on the dome and no facilities.

Nearby

Qeshm town is east; the Hara mangroves lie on the northern coast.

Key facts