Kantal National Park

Kantal National Park covers 7,000 hectares in East Azerbaijan Province and shares a border with Armenia. It is one of the attractions near Tabriz, since it lies only a short distance from the city. The park is home to a wide variety of wildlife, and many people consider it the most important protected wildlife area in Iran. Kantal National Park has both natural and man-made boundaries, the most important natural one being the Aras River. In some parts of the forest park, huge and beautiful cliffs also form a natural boundary.

The park is home to 350 animal species, some of which are unique to the Jolfa region and are found nowhere else. Fortunately, many measures have been taken to protect the wildlife here, and tourists are not allowed to enter the areas where the animals live. Animals living in this forest park include wild goats, wild sheep, wild boar, brown bears, caracals, foxes, wild cats, jungle cats, leopards, jackals, wolves and more. Another unique feature of the park is its special vegetation: many of the plants here are endemic and grow nowhere else in Iran. According to botanists' research, there are 450 plant species in Kantal, including juniper, Euphrates poplar, maple, wild pear, oleaster, hackberry, wild pistachio, tamarisk, barberry, wild rose and more. One of the attractions of Kantal National Park is certainly its dense, beautiful vegetation, which takes on a distinct atmosphere in every season.

Geopark features and the remains of old stone watermills are other distinctive characteristics of the Kantal area. In early spring, colorful tulips blooming on the slopes of Kantal and around Ali Beyg Castle create an unforgettable view. Within the park are Kantal Peak (Ghaleh Kantal) and Kontal Peak, and the Aras River runs along its northern edge. Given the mountainous terrain and the climate of the area, the best seasons to visit the park are spring and summer.