Gwadar

Gwadar's geography is unusual enough to be visible from space: a flat-topped rocky headland called Koh-e-Batil hangs off the coast, joined to the mainland by a narrow sand isthmus, so the town sits on a hammerhead with sea on both sides and two bays, east and west, of very different character. The headland gives a viewpoint over the whole arrangement, with the fishing harbour below and the deep-water port on the eastern side. Beaches run in both directions, and beyond the town the coast holds sea cliffs, arches and the strange flat-topped mesas of the Makran, including the Princess of Hope further east. Gwadar was ruled from Oman until 1958, and Omani influence lingers in the old town's architecture and in some family names. Development around the port has grown quickly and unevenly.

History

The name joins the Balochi gwát, "wind", and dar, "door", so Gwadar means "the gate of wind", and the area has been settled since the Bronze Age. The Ottoman admiral Seydi Ali Reis visited in the 1550s and described it in his book The Mirror of Countries in 1557, and from 1783 to 1958 Gwadar was an overseas possession of the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman (Wikipedia, Gwadar).

What's there

• Koh-e-Batil headland - the flat-topped hammerhead with views over both bays.
• The two bays - east and west beaches on either side of the isthmus.
• The fishing harbour - traditional boats and the daily catch.
• The old town - streets with traces of the Omani period.

When to go

November to February; summer is hot and humid and the sea rough during the monsoon. Flights are limited and subject to cancellation, so the coastal highway is the more dependable route, taking two days from Karachi with stops.

Good to know

This is a working port town with rapid, uneven construction rather than a resort; hotel stock is limited and basic. Photography near port and official installations is restricted. Foreign travellers may need to register or arrange permissions locally, and requirements change, so check before travelling. Water supply in the town is a chronic local issue.

Nearby

The Makran Coastal Highway runs east; Astola Island lies offshore from Pasni.

Key facts