Gritty and lived-in, culture-rich and fizzing with energy – the largest port city in Iran, Bandar Abbas is a great place to get a feel for the workaday side of this mysterious Middle Eastern country. It's been a booming centre for trade since the days of the Persian Empire, passing under control of the Portuguese and the Omanis before coming to the attention of the modern day shahs for its industrial and shipping potential. Travellers with a penchant for the authentic and raw will love getting lost in the buzzing bazaar of Bandar Abbas. It might be wise to take a local Bandar Abbas tour guide along with you, to help haggle through the stacks of scented spices, shisha pipes, jangling folk trinkets, gold bracelets, and multicoloured burqas. Another draw is the happening seafront area, which hosts antiques markets and fish stalls in the evenings. It's a hive of life when the sun sets across the Persian Gulf, awash with strollers and people watchers. That's also where you can seek out ferry links to the fabled isle of Qeshm – a rocky land of mountains and salt caves that's ripe for budding adventurers.