Dastgardan Salt Desert

The Dastgardan Salt Desert is part of the Central Desert of Iran, located 90 kilometres northeast of the city of Tabas. It has formed at the mouth of rivers flowing down from the Doranjal and Khormayu mountains to the southwest, Tangal-e Gaz and Tangal-e Chargh to the southeast, and Uzbek-kuh to the east. The area stretches from north to south, with a length of about 30 kilometres and a maximum width of nearly 20 kilometres. The desert surface has no vegetation, and its flat floor consists of a white salt crust and puffy clay ground. No salt platforms can be seen here, and only along the margins of the desert do salt-tolerant plants such as saltwort (Ashnan) grow.

Climatically, Dastgardan has a hot, dry climate, and annual rainfall does not exceed 150 millimetres even in the best years. Spring in the area begins in early Esfand and lasts until mid-Ordibehesht. Early heat then sets in and continues until the end of Mehr. The peak of the heat is in Tir and Mordad, when temperatures sometimes reach 50 degrees Celsius. Summer lasts about six months, and autumn is shorter than 40 days. Winter begins in early Azar, and in Dey temperatures can drop as low as 10 degrees below zero, before the weather warms up again from the middle of Bahman.

Given the sensitive environmental conditions and the salty nature of the area, visitors are advised to go with a local guide or a professional desert-tour operator. The best times to visit are spring and autumn, when temperatures are milder and the salt landscape looks its most beautiful. Responsible nature tourism is especially important in this desert: visitors should avoid polluting the environment, stay on designated routes, and refrain from damaging the salt structures and the vegetation along the desert margins.