Kish Island is the most up-to-date model of urban development in Iran.

The Pearl of the Persian Gulf, Kish Island is without a doubt one of Iran's most attractive tourist sites. The resort island, lapped by the sheltered waters of coral-edged lagoons, is also the most up-to-date model of urban development in Iran.
The paradise island is home to many of the world's species of reef fish. Kish lies like a pearl across the turquoise waters of the Persian Gulf and is a heaven of peace and tranquility fringed by sandy beaches and coral reefs vivid with colorful fish.
Kish Island has a calm and beautiful coast. Its soil made of coral with a silvery color, shines dazzlingly under the sunlight and may not be seen in many other coasts in the world covered with gray sand. The seawater in Kish Island is bright and clear and the seabed can be easily seen from a great distance.
The Kish coast is one of the least dangerous in the world.
These are just few reasons that have turned Kish Island into a popular holiday destination in the region. All together, it offers a stunning variety of cultures, scenery, sports, duty-free shopping and entertainment.
Kish Island, measuring 91.5 sq. km, is situated 18 kilometers south of Iran's southern coast and about 300 kilometers from the port city of Bandar Abbas. Kish is almost elliptical with an east-west length of 13 kilometers, and a 7-kilometer width running north to south. The Island's highest point is its eastern part which rises about 45 meters above the sea level. And, its relative height is 32 meters, which means only a 13 meters difference from its highest point.
Kish is hot and humid in summer but has a very mild weather for at least six months of the year.

Kish lies like a pearl across the turquoise waters of the Persian Gulf.

Archeological Discovery
In 1931, archeologists discovered ruins of two royal palaces in northern parts of the island and several ancient houses on the eastern side. The palaces belonged to the Sassanid era and were made of mud-bricks. Inside the palaces the statues of Shapour the Second, the Sassanid king, were found and Roman coins belonging to 4,5 and 6 centuries AD were unearthed from the ruins of the houses.
In the Islamic era, the island used to play a substantial role in promoting trade between Iran and the Arab world. Ruins of Harira City have lately received attention from the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization.
Zakaria Qazvini, a historian of the 12th Century AD, writes about Kish: "Ghiss is an island in the Fars Sea. A city lies in the center of the island with beautiful houses and landscapes. The city is surrounded with orchards. Indian and Arabian merchants do business on the island and one can find in Kish whatever is available in India."
Strategic Location
Kish Island has since ancient times been the focus of the colonialist nations due to its strategic location in the Persian Gulf.
The Persian Gulf has been a valuable waterway since the beginning of history and as the venue of the collision of great civilizations of the ancient East, its antecedents go back to several thousands of years. For centuries, the Ilamites used the Port of Bushehr and the Kharg Island for dwelling, shipping and ruling over the coasts of the Persian Gulf as well as transaction with the West Indies and the Nile Valley. In Latin American geography books the Persian Gulf has been referred to as More Persicum or the Sea of Pars.
The Portuguese colonialists conquered Kish in the early 16th Century to have an easier access to the eastern markets. The island remained under their control until the Safavid kings freed it. The Portuguese rule brought nothing but destruction and demolition for the Kish inhabitants.
Kish was traded several times during the Qajar Era before it was discovered to be a great resort island by a group of Iranian and US experts, who recommended that the island could well turn into a tourist attraction after they toured the beautiful island in 1970.
The Kish Development Company was established in 1973 with the aim of turning the island into Hawaii of the Middle East. But the company was dissolved--before it managed to implement the second phase of the project--with the triumph of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
In the early 1980s, the Revolution Council set customs duties for Kish Island, a law that was not enforced until 1989, when the Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani administration officially declared it as a free trade zone.
The island got a new lease on life in 1992, when the Kish Free Trade Zone Organization was founded.

Kish Island, measuring 91.5 sq. km, is situated 18 kilometers south of Iran's southern coast.

Attractions
The 'world road' surrounds the island like a belt. Some 25 areas have been ceded to representatives of 25 provinces to showcase their products and handicrafts. Next to every provincial stall is a foreign country represented by its own stall and representatives.
The Greek Ship, which never managed to leave Kish after it ran aground in summer of 1996, creates an attractive sight especially at sunset.
Many tourists visit the Greek Ship every day and take photos.
There is also a forest on the island, inhabited by deer. The Kish deer can also be seen playing around in other parts of the island.
Kish visitors would rarely lose the opportunity of visiting the island's huge aquarium, which is home to various species of stunningly beautiful and colorful marine life.
Those who are not able to go diving can have the delightful pastime of observing what is going on beneath the Persian Gulf waters in the unique aquarium.
For the diving enthusiasts the island has its own Dive Center. A variety of other water sports are also available. Jet-skiing, sailing, fishing, parasailing, reef walking, coral viewing, boating and water skiing are just a few popular ways to spend your time and enjoy yourself during a visit to the island.
Soft golden beaches, palm trees and crystal clear waters, in a place where time moves imperceptibly, surround Kish Island. The island offers relaxation combined with adventure in a destination that is unspoiled by commercialization, with its refreshing natural beauty and the unsophisticated life style of its people still very much intact.

No Entry Visa
Foreign nationals need no visa at the authorized arrival and departure points of Kish Island. At Kish international airport the officials will just stamp your passport, which allows you to stay up to 14 days on the island.
However, upon request by the Kish Free Trade Zone Organization the validity of such permits can be extended for three months and if need be for another three months. Such permits are extendable for a maximum period of 6 months and 14 days following which the foreign national has to leave the Iranian territory and re-enter Kish if so desired.
Foreign nationals who visit Kish for business or tourism purposes and intend to travel to mainland Iran should submit their application to the office representing the Foreign Ministry stationed in Kish and obtain an entry visa.
The procedure for the issuance of an entry visa to the mainland takes no longer than 48 hours by which the special Kish entrance stamp is replaced by an entry visa. Should the applicant submit his/her application from outside Kish Island, an entry visa will be issued for him/her upon arrival in Kish airport where the foreign national is required to contact the office of the Foreign Ministry stationed there and ask for his/her entry visa to be issued. Foreign nationals residing in Iran who wish to travel to Kish Island need no entry visa and are just required to present their valid residence documents.