Daku Yaylaq

Daku Yaylaq (summer pasture) lies in Mazandaran Province, in Tonekabon County, in the south of Nashtarud District. This mountainous area includes about 15 hamlets and nearly 80 livestock pens (boneh), and sits within the mid-elevation forest zone at the foot of the Taleqan, Kelardasht and Sehezar mountains. This remote summer pasture is known as one of the most beautiful foothill plains in northern Iran.

The area is covered with lush pastures, foothill plant species and wild forest fruit trees such as cherry plum, medlar and wild apple. Very old traditional architecture can be seen throughout the area, including traditional single-room houses and buildings made of stone, mud and wood, structures that testify to the region's history of more than a thousand years. Alongside this architecture, herding and traditional life continue, and local residents welcome guests with tandoor-baked bread and authentic local foods.

To reach Daku, set out from Tonekabon or Nashtarud and follow a long forest and dirt track (about 3 hours on a difficult mountain route) to the summer pasture. The best time to visit is from late spring to early autumn, although the misty summer and snowy winter have their own special beauty. Please travel responsibly: stay on the marked trail, do not leave litter, refrain from picking plants and do not disturb the animals.