SAEDNEWS: Lake Maharloo (Maharlu Lake), a seasonal salt lake southeast of Shiraz in Fars Province, Iran, is famed for its striking pink to red waters caused by salt-tolerant algae and its role as a refuge for migratory birds — a visually dramatic, photo-friendly natural attraction easily reached from Shiraz.
One of the most picturesque natural attractions in Fars Province and among Shiraz’s sights is the Maharloo Wetland — Lake Maharloo — located about 30 kilometres southeast of the city. Although the lake may look like an ordinary seasonal lake at first glance, its distinctive appearance and unusual pink-red colour set it apart. The lake is often called the “pink lake”; its pink and red tones are produced by the growth of certain algae in its waters. Lake Maharloo is part of the Maharloo protected area near Shiraz and serves as habitat and refuge for migratory birds, including flamingos.
Address: Fars Province, Sarvestan County, Kuhanjan District — about 30 km southeast of Shiraz, in Maharloo rural district and the village of Maharloo. (View on map)
Opening hours (year 1403): 24 hours
Entrance fee (year 1403): Free
Lake Maharloo is a notable attraction in Fars Province and is located near the village of Maharloo, also called the “flower plain.” The distance from Shiraz to Lake Maharloo is about 30 kilometers (roughly 30 minutes by car). The lake is approximately 40 kilometers from the Shiraz–Fasa road (around 40 minutes by car) and roughly 930 kilometers south of Tehran (about 10 hours by car).
To visit Lake Maharloo, also known as the red (pink) lake, start by traveling to the historic city of Shiraz in Fars Province. From Shiraz, follow the road toward Fasa. After about 60 miles along that route, you will reach the village of Maharloo; from there, take an unpaved track to the lake.
Lake Maharloo is part of the Maharloo protected hunting area near Shiraz. The wetland, often referred to as Lake Maharloo, covers around 25,000 hectares and sits at approximately 1,560 metres above sea level. The lake’s maximum length is about 31 kilometres and its greatest width is roughly 11 kilometres.
The lake’s average depth is about 50 centimeters, and during peak inflow, its deepest areas can reach roughly three meters. The lake water is high in sodium-magnesium chloride and sodium sulfate, and in dry seasons, it becomes one of Iran’s major salt deposits.
Maharloo is a seasonal lake: it mostly dries up in summer and refills during autumn and winter rains. The lake receives water from rainfall and seasonal streams—including the dry Shiraz River, Chenarrah, and Soltanabad—that collect floods from western Shiraz and eventually flow into Lake Maharloo. The lake’s catchment area also contains several springs that feed into the basin.
Activities at Lake Maharloo include photography, wildlife watching, bird-watching, pedal boating, and horseback riding.
The lake is known locally by several names — Mahlu, Mahlouyeh and Mahluyeh — and historically has also been called Jenkal or the Salt Lake. The present name derives from the nearby village, Maharloo.
Early geographers and travellers used various names for the lake: Istakhri (a 10th-century geographer) referred to it as “Jenkan.” Abu’l-Fida and the Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta mentioned it as “Jamkan.” The lake also appears as “Mahlouyeh” in the 12th-century work Farsnameh by Ibn Balkhi and in the geographic writings of Hamdallah Mustawfi.
Lake Maharloo is a wildlife refuge and an important habitat for migratory birds. When conditions are suitable, many species remain in the Fars wetlands and Lake Maharloo until mid-autumn. Large numbers of flamingos visit the area each year. The lake’s salinity suits flamingos because their primary food — the salt-loving brine shrimp genus Artemia — is abundant in Maharloo’s waters.
In addition to flamingos, the lake hosts species such as Anqut and Tanjeh, various gulls, and a range of waterside birds including local species referred to in Persian as gilan-shah bozorg, small selim, abchalik, herons, green-headed ducks and other ducks. Mammals observed around the lake include jackals, wildcats, hyenas and foxes.
Lake Maharloo is a natural resource of commercial and industrial importance. It is one of the region’s main sources of edible and industrial salt. The lake also supports the growth of the halophilic microalga Dunaliella salina, which produces pigments used in food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics industries.
Dunaliella salina is also a key food source for the brine shrimp Artemia. Artemia live in salty waters such as Maharloo’s and are eaten by flamingos. Artemia are of economic value in aquaculture — they are used to feed caviar fish, ornamental fish and shrimps — and their harvest and export are commercially valuable.
Like many Iranian wetlands and lakes, Lake Maharloo faces multiple environmental threats, particularly drought. The lake plays a role in moderating Shiraz’s climate: in winter it helps temper extreme cold, and in summer the moisture it provides reduces extreme heat. However, in recent decades reduced rainfall and drought have exposed lakebeds, turning them into sources of dust and salt storms that degrade regional air quality.
Drought, effluent and toxic discharges are among the major threats to Lake Maharloo’s ecology. Evaporation during summer concentrates pollutants and can raise levels of contaminants, sometimes above safe thresholds. Unregulated groundwater extraction and drilling of illegal wells have also disrupted the lake’s ecosystem and reduced the numbers and diversity of migratory birds.
Check weather and road conditions before you go.
Respect the environment: do not leave litter after visiting.
Protect the wildlife of the lake.
Avoid swimming in the lake.
Bring a hat, sunscreen and sunglasses.
The Dunaliella salina algae pose no health risk to visitors.
Walking along the lakeshore is a popular activity — bring suitable footwear.
Because the lake is long, there may be no kiosks near where you stop; carry drinking water and snacks.
Some sections of the unpaved road to the lake are rough; drive with caution.
The pink or red colouring of Lake Maharloo is caused by beta-carotene produced by salt-tolerant algae.
In Maharloo’s saline, sunlit waters a harmless unicellular green alga called Dunaliella salina thrives. This alga is the food source for tiny brine shrimp (Artemia), which live in saline lakes like Maharloo. As water temperature and salinity increase, Dunaliella produces pigments — notably beta-carotene — that change the lake’s colour. Beta-carotene does not represent an ecological hazard for the lake.
In summer, as lake waters evaporate, the pink tones of Lake Maharloo become particularly vivid.
If you plan to visit Iran’s pink lake, consider travelling between autumn and mid-Ordibehesht (roughly mid-May). In these seasons the lake tends to be fuller and the weather is cooler and more pleasant.
Address: Fars Province, Sarvestan County, Kuhanjan District, Maharloo rural district (view on map)
Distance from Lake Maharloo: about 10 km (roughly 10 minutes by car)
Maharloo Village, named after the nearby lake, is one of Shiraz’s historic villages. Based on remaining artifacts, its origins are often traced back to the Safavid era. The village — also called the Flower Plain — is situated on a slope and has a pleasant microclimate. In the old neighborhoods, many homes were traditionally built from sun-dried mud bricks, adobe, and wood, featuring tall vaulted roofs and arched windows. Today, modern houses often use flat roofs and materials such as brick, concrete blocks, iron, and plaster.
Most villagers earn a living through farming, handicrafts, and animal husbandry. Main products include wheat, barley, figs, almonds, sheep’s wool, dairy products, and hand-woven carpets. Local attractions feature Lake Maharloo itself, the Shah Abbasi caravansary, a sulfur spring, the Shahrakh fortress (attributed to Shahrakh, son of Timur), the tomb of Bibi Sharifeh Khatoon, the eastern mound (Tel-e Sharqi), and the shrine of Imamzadeh Khadijeh Banu.
Address: Fars Province, Shiraz — end of Afifabad Street (view on map)
Phone: +98 71 3626 7343
Opening hours (year 1403): 09:00–20:00
Entrance fee (year 1403): 10,000 toman
Distance from Lake Maharloo: 40 km (approximately 40 minutes by car)
Afifabad Garden (also known as Bagh-e Golshan) is one of Shiraz’s historic gardens. Its history dates back to the Safavid period; the two-story manor was built during the Qajar era. Today, the garden is managed by the Organization for Ideological and Political Affairs of the Iranian Army and houses one of the largest military museums in the Middle East.
Afifabad Garden spans approximately 127,000 square meters and features an entrance courtyard, lush green spaces, a rectangular pool, and the main mansion. The ground floor of the mansion houses a military museum showcasing a wide variety of weapons and military equipment; the upper floor contains the “Museum of Lessons” with a large wooden-ceiling hall, stone fireplaces, valuable carpets, wooden windows with stained glass, intricate plasterwork, muqarnas, and Empress Farah Pahlavi's personal piano.
Address: Fars Province, Shiraz — between Adabiat Square and Hafezieh Square, opposite Hafezieh Stadium (view on map)
Phone: +98 71 3228 4552
Opening hours (year 1403): 08:00–21:00
Entrance fee (year 1403): 30,000 toman
Distance from Lake Maharloo: 35 km (about 40 minutes by car)
Hafezieh is the mausoleum of Hafez, Iran’s most celebrated poet, located in north Shiraz. It is one of the city’s most beloved cultural sites and has at times led visitor statistics. The Hafez complex covers roughly two hectares and includes northern and southern courtyards with a central hall between them. The complex has four gates: the main southern entrance, one on the east and two on the west. The building’s design was by the French architect and orientalist André Godard.
The original structure dates to the Zand period. The main hall is 56 metres long and eight metres wide with 20 stone columns each about five metres high. Interior decorations of the dome employ colours such as white, crimson, black, turquoise, and burnt brown.
Address: Fars Province, Shiraz — end of Boostan Street, next to Delgosha Garden (view on map)
Phone: +98 71 3730 2300
Opening hours (year 1403): 07:00–20:00
Entrance fee (year 1403): 30,000 toman
Distance from Lake Maharloo: 35 km (about 40 minutes by car)
Saadiyeh is the mausoleum of Sharf al-Din Muslih Shirazi, known as Saadi of Shiraz, one of Iran’s great 13th-century poets. Saadiyeh is among Shiraz’s popular attractions and its original structure dates to the Zand era. In 1327 (solar Hijri) the building suffered damage and restoration work began immediately to prevent further decay. A team of local designers, engineers and workers from Shiraz carried out the restoration between 1327 and 1330 (solar Hijri).
The Saadiyeh complex was designed by Mohsen Foroughi with inspiration from Isfahan’s Chehel Sotoun and traditional and modern Iranian architectural styles. The site covers about 7,700 square metres and includes a garden and the Saadi building. A notable feature is the fish pond below the tomb, which is octagonal in design. There is also a basement tea house that serves visitors.
Have you visited the beautiful city of Shiraz and Lake Maharloo? If you have, please share your experiences and comments in the discussion section below so other readers can benefit.
