Hengam Island is a small island located 2 kilometers away from the Qeshm Island in Hormuzgan Province counted as a part of the Qeshm Town. This island is only 9 kilometers in 6 kilometers (36.6 square kilometers) and its highest spot is 106 meters above sea level. This island has three small villages, including Hengam-e No Village (New Hengam), which is a suitable spot for ferries and boats to anchor and has facilities like a small wharf, police station, desalination workshop, and school, Old Hengam Village, which is 4 kilometers away from the new village and most of its houses are abandoned today. The other village is named Ghil which is home to about 200 locals and has some water wells. In recent years Hengam Island is becoming known as a perfect winter destination in Iran with wonderful natural and cultural attractions and so much undiscovered eco-tourism potentials.
Being located in the Persian Gulf and close to the Qeshm Island and the Strait of Hormuz, Hengam Island has been an important strategical military and guidance spot throughout history. During the Safavid Era Hengam Island was occupied by the Portuguese invaders. Also, the England Army paid a lot of attention to this island because of its deep beaches, which made it a suitable place for anchoring military ferries. Therefore, in 1799 Sir John Malcolm paved the way for the British army to reach this strategic spot, but they couldn’t take is as Karim Khan Zand the king of Iran confronted the British Army, however they managed to occupy the island during the Qajar Era and controlled it for a long time although it was officially owned by the Iranian government. At the same time, an Arab Sheikh and the Sultan of Muscat (the capital of Oman) tried to conquer the Hengam Island. In 1928 and when hen Reza Shah Pahlavi was the king of Iran, he sent three military ferries from Bandar Abbas to Hengam Island and took back its control from the British Army and other foreign authorities. Today the ruins of some watching towers are what left from those days.
The beaches around the Hengam Island can be introduced among the most picturesque beaches that someone can see in Iran, like the silver beach known for its shiny silver sand, Kale Khamasi Beach which is a rocky beach suitable for diving and snorkeling. In some seasons the beaches become magically beautiful during the night, because of the tiny creatures named Phytoplankton that shine like stars in the dark.
The best time of year for visiting the Hengam Island is from early October when the weather gradually gets cooler after a long summer to April, when it gets warm and humid again.
