It might sound like a fantasy, but there is a real island in the Persian Gulf with these unique characteristics. Have you ever seen red sand or water? What about sand as dark as the depths of the galaxy? Well, you can find both of these oddities, and more, at Hormuz Island.
The soil of Hormuz has a high concentration of iron oxide that gives the landscape a characteristic reddish hue. In places where the sand is redder, the waves in the sea become tinged with pink. This has been used for decades in the industry of dyeing, cosmetics, glass, and ceramics – with lots of exporting going on from places like this. In travel blogs, it’s easy to find references to the island associating its landscape with rainbows, due to the rich colors of its land and rocks – the “multicolored mountains.”
Hormuz Island has a mountain rich in red oxide soil, called “Gelack”, which is not just a valuable mineral for industrial purposes, but the locals use it as a spice in their cuisine, such as sauces, jams, etc. In fact, the island has the only edible mountain in the world. The same red soil that can be found giving color to the beaches, is also used in baking the local bread called ‘tomshi’.
The mountain being on the shoreline, makes the peculiarly red beach and red waves of the sea an unmissable sight to see. What is more, walking along the shore, you will encounter parts where sand glitters with metal compounds, especially mesmerizing at sunset or sunrise.
These metal compounds, combined with the darker shades of sand, give it a cosmic vibe and appearance of our celestial galaxy.
In the video below you can see how it looks like a galaxy when they drag their feet through the sand. It’s absolutely amazing to watch!
As you can see, the sand shines in the sunlight like glitter, and the water is bright red. Have you ever seen anything like this before?
Hormuz Island is one of the places you need to visit at some point in your lifetime. The soil color around you keeps changing as you walk or ride and you can visit a unique red edible soil and other 70 colorful minerals.
Now, I probably won’t be going anywhere for a while, but if you plan to visit Iran at any point during your lifetime, make this a definite stop on your journey.
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