Hormuz or Hormoz (Persian: هرمز,) is a town on Hormuz Island, off the Southwest coast of Iran.

Hormuz was a fairly important city in medieval times, such as when Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta visited it, but today is only a town of about 6,000.

Understand

Hormuz is located on the Straits of Hormuz, the narrows at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. The Straits have been mentioned fairly often in news in the late 20th and early 21st centuries because of their strategic importance. They are the best place to control traffic in or out of the Gulf; if someone wanted to cut off seaborne shipments of something — Gulf oil going out, arms coming to Iran, or supplies to US forces in Iraq — this is where they would do it.

In medieval times, Hormuz was the capital of its province and the province is still called Hormozgān, though the city of Bandar Abbas is now the capital. To escape Mongol attacks, one ruler shifted the capital to nearby Hormuz Island and built a town there called New Hormuz, but he soon made peace with the Mongols and moved the capital back.

Get in

inside ship to Hormuz Island

Travelers to Hormuz island can reach it on large modern ships from Bandar Abass. It takes about half an hour.

Get around

You can hire a tuk-tuk with driver from just outside the port, or else rent a bike from a dome-shaped building near the port gates.

See

A cannon at the Portuguese Castle.

Hormuz is considered as a "must see" island. You can drive around the circumference of Hormuz in one hour, and there are many sights to see.

• 1 Fort of Our Lady of the Conception (قلعه هرمز). Also known as Portuguese Castle, this semi-ruined red stone fortress built in 1515 is one of the few remaining monuments of Portuguese colonial rule in the Persian Gulf. (updated Jan 2023)
• 2 Nadalian Art Museum. 
• 3 Salt Caves. 
• 4 Rainbow Valley. 
• 5 Sunset Abyss. 
• 6 Mofanegh Beach. 
• 7 Silver and Red Beach. 
• 8 Rainbow Cave. 
• 9 Hole in the Rock. 
• 10 Spanish Beach. 

Do

Many people enjoy recreational fishing in Hormuz. It's best to set out close to dawn or sunset, when the weather is not so hot. Locals are available to help you learn how to fish.

Sleep

• 1 Red Beach Suites Hotel, ☏ +98 9121575713 (Mr Ali). Named after the island's red earth, this hotel is now the only registered place in the island. (updated Jul 2018)

Other than this hotel there are some local houses where tourists can stay.