Photo: Umer Ghani · CC BY-SA 4.0Area guides / Balochistan / Makran Coast
Area guide
Makran Coast
Hingol, Kund Malir, Ormara and Gwadar on the coastal highway
Region
Balochistan
When to go
October to March. The desert coast is punishing in summer, and the monsoon makes sea crossings to Astola rough.
Getting there
Drive west from Karachi: Hingol is about 190 km, Kund Malir about 150 km, Ormara about 360 km and Gwadar 11-12 hours. Or fly Karachi-Gwadar. Travel with local arrangements and check conditions before setting out.
Places
9 field guides
Overview
About Makran Coast
The Makran Coastal Highway (N-10) runs 653 km along the Arabian Sea from Karachi to Gwadar, through Ormara and Pasni. Along it lie Hingol, Pakistan's largest national park, the beach at Kund Malir, the tombolo bay of Ormara, Astola Island off Pasni and Gwadar's hammerhead peninsula.
Drive west from Karachi: Hingol is about 190 km, Kund Malir about 150 km, Ormara about 360 km and Gwadar 11-12 hours. Or fly Karachi-Gwadar. Travel with local arrangements and check conditions before setting out.
Hingol and Hinglaj
Hingol National Park covers about 6,100 km² across Gwadar, Lasbela and Awaran districts. Inside it, the cave shrine of Hinglaj Mata is one of the most sacred Hindu sites in Pakistan, with its main yatra in spring.
West along the coast
Ormara and Pasni are working fishing towns and natural halts on the long run west; boats to Astola Island leave from Pasni in calm weather. Fuel up in Karachi and carry water: services are sparse between towns.
Resorts
All resorts →GreenPak stays in this area are listed on the region guide.
Makran Coast: Questions Travellers Ask
What is there to see in Makran Coast?
9 places in Makran Coast have their own field guide here, the most in parks and gardens (6), landmarks and buildings (2) and churches and temples (1).
When is the best time to visit Makran Coast?
October to March. The desert coast is punishing in summer, and the monsoon makes sea crossings to Astola rough.
How do you get to Makran Coast?
Drive west from Karachi: Hingol is about 190 km, Kund Malir about 150 km, Ormara about 360 km and Gwadar 11-12 hours. Or fly Karachi-Gwadar. Travel with local arrangements and check conditions before setting out.
What day trips can you take from Makran Coast?
2 within about 60 km of Makran Coast, all listed on this page: Sapat Beach (about 25 km outside) and Sonmiani Bay (about 26 km outside).
The complete guide
Everything to See in Makran Coast
All 9 places in Makran Coast with their own field guide, grouped by kind.
Churches and temples · 1
Parks and gardens · 6
Hingol National ParkUNESCO tentative cultural landscape and one of Pakistan's major coast-desert national parks.
Jiwani Coastal WetlandA Ramsar-listed coastal wetland near the Iran border, tidal flats, mangrove creeks, and golden sunsets over the Arabian Sea at Pakistan's westernmost tip.
Kund MalirMakran coastal beach route inside the Hingol landscape.
Ormara BeachA sweeping crescent bay on the Makran coast, spectacular aerial views of turquoise water, desert cliffs, and the Ormara turtle nesting peninsula.
PasniA working fishing port on the Makran coast, gateway for boats out to Astola Island and a quiet stop on the coastal highway between Ormara and Gwadar.
Princess of HopeThe Princess of Hope, a wind-carved rock figure in Hingol National Park, about 190 km from Karachi.
Landmarks and buildings · 2
Around Makran Coast: day trips · 2
Outside Makran Coast, straight-line distance from its boundary.
