Gavkhuni Wetland

Gavkhuni wetland is one of the most well-known wetlands in Iran and is one of 19 international wetlands and has a worldwide reputation.

The wetland or swamp of Gavkhuni is located next to the historic Varzaneh city and near the entrance of the beautiful Varzaneh Desert. Before you reach the wetland until the eye is working, you see a desert and dry plain. This wetland lies at the end of the Zayanderud and originates from it. The river, which originates from the Zard-Kuh mountains of the Bakhtiari, pours into this wetland after crossing Isfahan city. Due to the dryness of the Zayanderud, the wetland also dried up. But this year, due to heavy rainfall, the Zayanderud was filled with water and revived the Gavkhuni wetland. The deepest part of the wetland reaches 150 centimeters. The wetland covers an area of 470 square kilometers, but only 50 square kilometers is water. On the southern margin of the wetland, there is a vast amount of salt, due to the high evaporation of water and the accumulation of salt crystals created. The salt of this sector is extracted and used.

This wetland is a refuge for migratory birds. Thousands of birds migrate to this wetland in the cold season and create a beautiful scene. Seeing birds such as herons, stork, goose, larus, northern shoveler and so on, it is usual views here. Of course, in warm seasons, the wetland hosts birds that come from the south to the lake. In this wetland, you can see animals such as wild ovis, wild boar, rüppell's fox, turtles, Eurasian vipers, rabbits, goats, bats, and so on who are sheltering and living in this wetland.

The land around the wasteland is so saline that no vegetation has grown a few kilometers on it. But in the wetland, there are different species of plant such as schoenoplectus, algae types and shrubs like haloxylon.

• What is the best time to go?

The gavkhuni wetland is located in a desert region. You know that the desert areas have so warm summers, but the nights are really cold. So, the best time to visit this wetland is from early December to the end of March.

• Getting there?

This wetland is located 167 kilometers southeast of Isfahan, near the city of Varzaneh. From Varzaneh to the wetland is 25 Km that we reach the Gavkhuni wetland along the Sosse Road to the east.