Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The archway opens onto a wide courtyard facing the sea. On the right as you enter is
the ancient armoury. In the middle of the courtyard is a subterranean church that has some
splendid vaulted ceilings. Before following the path marked by stones up onto the ram-
parts, you can visit the ground-floor room of the watchtower if the door is open. Higher
up is another door to the submerged 'water supply', a surprisingly deep and impressive
cistern circled by an elevated interior walkway. The crumbling upper levels of the castle
offer fine views back over the village to the starkly beautiful mountains, all surrounded by
the blue Gulf waters; it's a nice spot to sit, soak up the silence and let your mind wander
back a few hundred years.
Officially there is an US$0.20 entrance fee, but in four trips we've yet to find anyone to
take our money. Beware the local urchins selling a motley array of souvenirs at the en-
trance - they've been known to throw stones at visitors who don't buy their wares.
Getting There & Around
The only way to get to Hormoz is by open speedboat (one way US$2.25, about 30
minutes) from the Shahid Haqani Passenger Port in Bandar Abbas. The island is usually
witheringly hot and there isn't much shade, so start as early as possible. Boats leave when
full - every 15 minutes or so in the morning and far less often later. The last boats usually
return to Bandar about 4pm, but to be safe you should aim to return much earlier than this.
Your boat will probably be met by a motorised cart (the local equivalent of a Thai
tuk-
tuk
) or one of the island's two taxis. You'll need to bargain with the
tuk-tuk
driver if you
want him to take you to the castle - US$2 would be a generous fare. The taxis charge
US$13.50 for a 90-minute tour of the island, including Rainbow Valley.
