Boujagh National Park

Boujagh National Park is a protected area in the city of Bandar Kiashahr (Astaneh-ye Ashrafiyeh County) in Gilan Province. It is the first registered land-and-sea national park in Iran and covers 3,260 hectares. Of this, about 1,600 hectares is marine area, about 160 hectares is wetland, and the rest is land, including coastal land, plains and grassland.

The area lies on the Caspian Sea to the north. It is bordered to the south by Bandar Kiashahr, to the west by the Oshmak River and the town of Zibakenar, and to the east by the broadcasting (IRIB) facilities beside the village of Amir Kiasar. To the north it extends to a depth of 6 metres in the Caspian Sea off Kiashahr. The park consists of three wetlands: Kiashahr in the east, Boujagh in the west and 22 Bahman in the centre, together with the Sefidrud Delta, the plains and grasslands west of the delta, and the coastal lands and waters of the Caspian Sea. The area has been designated a national park since 1381 (2002).

According to a study carried out in the park from 1383 to 1385 (2004 to 2006), a total of 234 bird species from 49 families have been observed here. Twelve of them are endangered species listed on the IUCN Red List. Birds found in Boujagh include swans, geese, ducks, flamingos, ferruginous ducks, coots, terns, bitterns, herons, spoonbills, gulls, cormorants, egrets, cranes, pheasants, quails, storks, kingfishers, hoopoes, bee-eaters, larks, woodpeckers, owls, doves, nightingales, robins, cuckoos and swallows, as well as many other species such as pipits, warblers, wagtails, flycatchers and stonechats. Birds of prey include various eagles, the sea eagle, kites, falcons, harriers, kestrels, buzzards and others. More than 50 species of aquatic life have also been identified in the area, including white fish (Caspian roach), carp, pike, kutum, crucian carp, catfish, bream and others. The Caspian seal, the only mammal of the Caspian Sea, is also found here. The number of plant species identified in the area is 248.

Autumn and winter are the best time to visit for nature lovers, birdwatchers and wildlife photographers, because many different birds migrate to Boujagh Park. If you want to see the most beautiful and distinctive birds, many of them rare, choose the second half of the year for a trip to this national park. The park is a good place for camping and overnight stays. However, there are no particular facilities for accommodation and the area has remained very pristine. In terms of recreation, there are only a limited number of pleasure boats.