Chahkooh Canyon

In the west of Qeshm, near the village of Chahu, rainwater has cut a deep, winding canyon through soft sandstone and marl. In places the walls rise high above you while the passage narrows to a few metres, and the rock is pitted with countless holes and hollows shaped by erosion, like a giant honeycomb or lace.

The name means “well mountain”: for generations, villagers dug wells at the canyon mouth to catch the rare winter rains. Walking through the cool, shaded gorge takes about an hour; the play of light on the curved walls makes it one of the most photogenic spots on the island.