Stars Valley

Near the village of Berkeh Khalaf in western Qeshm, wind and rare torrential rains have carved soft sediments into a maze of pinnacles, columns and narrow gullies. Locals call it Dareh Setareh, the Stars Valley: legend says a star fell here and the ground froze in the shape of the explosion, and some believed the eerie whistling of the wind came from spirits.

Paths and viewing platforms lead through the formations, which glow gold and pink in the late afternoon. The valley is one of the best-known sites of the Qeshm geopark, and at night, far from city lights, it lives up to its name with a sky full of stars.