Jashak Salt Dome

Nature manifests unique pictures of itself in Southern Iran. One of these incredible manifestations is Bushehr’s Jashak Salt Dome. As one of the most immensive and impressive domes of its kind in the world and the largest one in the Middle East, this Salt Dome is a top attraction with lots of rare spectacles. Everything hidden in this salty complex, the marvelous caves, the gorgeous icicles, the handsome glaciers, the lovely formations, and the formidable pillars and waterfalls are there to leave you captivated. This 600-million-year-old national fossil treasure is both a photographer’s heaven and a great destination for geology lovers. Join me on this post for a few hiking tips and a discovery around the beauties and secrets of this natural wonder.

Geography of Jashak Salt Dome

64 kilometers to the south of Khormoj town and 144 kilometers to the southeast of the center of the province, you can find Jashak Salt Dome. The dome covers about 3666 hectares of land, reaches up to 1490 meters from the ground and is at least 70 meters from sea level. With a 12-km length and a 4.5-km width, the dome extends from Gankhak Village and Jashak Village in the west to Baghan Village and Darvishi Village in the east.

What You Will See in Jashak Salt Dome

A snow-covered hill in such a hot and dry region!? It is the first thing that comes to your mind when Jashak Salt Dome starts appearing before you from a distance. But at the aha-moment, you’ll see the salt that’s creating the surprising view. The beautiful crystals, the attractive shapes, and the charming sights found in the dome are so captivating that the routes and caves are named based on them:

Salt Glaciers

Looking like ice glaciers, salt glaciers are of the beautiful sights seen in the northwest section of Jashak Salt Dome. The gravitational movement of salt masses toward the edges of the dome has created these glaciers.

Salty Waterfalls

Salty Waterfalls are of the wonders of Jashak Salt Dome. When we imagine a waterfall, we usually picture it in the middle of a jungle or green region. But the water falls of the dome are there to change this picture. These waterfalls have been on the water passageway. In summertime, the water completely evaporates and forms beautiful thick crystals that give a dazzling beauty to the waterfalls. You can see this rare sight from around mid-spring until summer and fall.

Salt Caves

The charms of this salt dome are endless. On your adventure around the dome, you’ll discover salt caves that are formed by the dissolution of salt by rain water. In these caves, you can check out the beauty of stalactites and stalagmites created by salt crystals.

1. Shakh-e Nabat (Rock Candy) Cave

Salty crystals and icicles hanging beautifully from the ceiling of these caves don’t miss to impress you.

2. Angoori (Grapy) Cave

This cave is another wonder of this huge salty complex. The salt crystals hanging from the ceiling and walls of this cave look like

3. Tunnel Cave

An adventure into this cave will be one of the most exciting parts of your exploration around Jashak Salt Dome. This amazing cave is an almost 300-meter tunnel in the form of a horseshoe. Being in the path of water streams that dissolved salt sediments led to the gradual creation of this cave over years. Because most visitors don’t know about the existence of this cave or even have a guide, they miss a great part of their adventure. Even if you manage to find the tunnel cave on your own (which is improbable), getting into it without a guide is dangerous. Deep in the cave, there is total darkness and you’ll need a head torch to continue. Passing through the dark territory of bats and making them flutter multiplies the joy and excitement of the hike.

At some points in the cave, there are few-meter cliffs. For descending these colorful cliffs, you’ll definitely need a guide’s assistance. At some points, the path branches into different paths and that’s another reason why you’ll need a guide. Then, after walking in total darkness for a while, you’ll reach the romantic part of the cave. The narrow beam of light that lights a small part of the cave is a gorgeous sight. Don’t miss the chance of capturing great photos at this part of the cave. As you go ahead in the cave, you’ll have to crawl through a half-a-meter tunnel which is amazingly decorated with porous salt.

A Range of Shapes

In this astonishing piece of nature, you will be blown away by the different shapes water erosion has created. One of these beautiful pieces is Takht-e Div (Demon’s Throne), colorful pillars formed because of the difference in the erodibility level of stone and salt.

Salty Springs

Pretty salty springs are of the other attractions of Jashak Salt Dome. The clear water and the crystalline salt on the edges have a dazzling beauty under the sunshine.

Gol-e kalam (Cauliflower) Valley

The most stunning spectacle at Jashak is the rare valley that is covered with orange and white salt formations in the shape of cauliflowers. When sun shines over high concentration salty springs, it turns them into these cauliflower-shaped crystals.

The Secrets of Jashak Salt Dome

The marvelous look of Jashak Salt Dome has always been a subject of local folklore and myth. Based on one of these legends, the dome is a result of a legendary curse. Since they believe demon lived and ruled in this protected dome, they call it Demon’s Throne.

Plants and Animals in Jashak Salt Dome

As you might have guessed, a land covered with salt can’t have a rich vegetation. But in some parts of Jashak Salt dome, you can see plants like Milkvetch and Zygophyllum. In valleys that are immune from salt, you can also find jujube, Bryophyllum, wild almunds, and beautiful polka dot plants. You can also see animals like wild goats, foxes, jackals and hyenas; birds like Sandgrouses, partridges, see-see partridges, bee-eaters, swallows, common swifts, sparrows, and finches; and different kinds of reptiles. In hot seasons (from around mid-spring to early fall), the only living thing you can find there are lizards and bats.

The Best Season to Visit

This amazing dome is in one of the super-hot regions of Iran. So, the best season to travel there is mid-November to early April. Also, considering that the top sites of the dome are on the floodwater path and the rain is usually heavy, checking out weather forecast before traveling to Jashak is a must.

A Visit to Jashak Salt Dome

Jashak Salt Dome is not small. So, to get the most out of this unique place, plan to spend at least 6 hours there. The salty formations are so charming that you wouldn’t notice the time go by and you might even find yourself short of time. Although all the path from the parking to the salty waterfall and some caves are beaten and detectible, for your safety and for a guaranteed visit of the top spectacles, I recommend getting a local guide.

How to Get to Jashak Salt Dome

Jashak Salt Dome is 144 km to the Port of Bushehr. From Bushehr, you’ll have to pass Some towns and villages: Choghadak, Khormoj, Kaki, Gankhak-e Sheykhi, and Jashak. 5 km after Jashak Village, you can see a gas station on the right side of the road. There are no WCs around the dome, so this gas station is your last chance to get water and food and your last access to a WC. After a kilometer from the station, you can see the dirt road that leads to the dome on the left side of the road. This 3-km dirt road is very bumpy at some points and you’ll need to drive carefully.

Things you Need For a Hike Through Jashak Salt Dome

A pair of hiking shoes, backpack (10 liter is enough), head torch, professional camera, drinking water, snacks, fruit, garbage bag, and sunglasses.

Adventure Culture

It has taken hundreds of years for the beautiful salty icicles, cauliflower crystals, handsome glaciers, and layered pillars to form. So, protecting them, not taking them, not damaging them, and avoiding littering are our duties.

Like to go on an Adventure in Jashak Salt Dome?

Two of our hiking adventures, Discover Jashak Salt Dome and Salt Dome and Other Bushehri Charms, and one of our horseback riding adventures, Southern Beaches on Horseback, can get you there.