Hesel Wetland

Near the village of Sinava, 10 km from the city of Chalus and next to Marzanabad, lies a beautiful wetland with an extraordinary and unique landscape, called Hesel. It is considered one of the most beautiful sights in northern Iran. Hesel Wetland is also known as Kenichal Wetland. It lies at an altitude of 2,500 metres above sea level and covers less than one hectare. Hesel Wetland is filled by seasonal rains, so in the rainy seasons its depth reaches more than 15 metres, but in summer the water of the wetland almost completely evaporates. By mid-summer the bottom of the wetland is exposed and nothing is left but mud.

Various animals live around the wetland, the most notable of which are turtles and other amphibians. In autumn, listening to the birds, especially the woodpeckers, around the wetland is very pleasant. The vegetation around the wetland is very diverse; for example, hornbeam, beech, Caucasian elm (Zelkova), ash, box tree, wild sour apple, wild fig, wild pomegranate, chamomile, fashki vash, zemanj and others.. are among the plants found here.

To reach the wetland, take the Chalus Road and, 10 km before the city of Chalus, after the traffic police station, turn left onto the first dirt side road, a forest road that leads to the village of Sinava. This road has no sign, so you just need to watch for the police station. On this road, after crossing the river bridge, about 300 metres further on you will come to a fork, where you must take the right-hand road to reach the wetland. After a short distance, you will reach a forested area called Bani. You must park your car here and continue on foot towards the wetland.