Gwadar
Port Town On The Makran Coast, Bought From Oman In 1958; Centre Of The China Pakistan Economic Corridor Port · Gwadar, Balochistan
Gwadar is a fishing town on the Makran coast of Balochistan, built on a narrow sandy neck joining the mainland to a great hammerhead-shaped rock, the Koh-e-Batil, that rises straight out of the Arabian Sea. It belonged to the Sultan of Oman for nearly two centuries until Pakistan bought it in 1958, and traces of that past remain in the old town. Since the 2000s it has become famous across Pakistan for another reason: the deep-sea port built with China as the showpiece of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, with new roads, a new airport and grand plans for a city. For visitors the draw is the setting: the view from the top of the hammerhead over two bays, long empty beaches, fishing boats on the sand, and the drive along the Makran Coastal Highway to reach it. But Gwadar is heavily securitised. Separatist attacks have targeted the port and Chinese interests, checkposts are everywhere, and many locals resent a development they feel was imposed on them. Foreigners usually need permission. It is a fascinating place, not an easy one.
Gwadar town and the Koh-e-Batil hammerhead peninsula, Gwadar District, Gwadar, Balochistan, Pakistan
Gwadar is a town with no gate. The hammerhead viewpoint is reached by road; some areas near the port are closed. Foreigners usually need permission (an NOC) and may be escorted; confirm before going. Gwadar has an airport with limited flights, or it is a long drive along the Makran Coastal Highway from Karachi, roughly eight to ten hours.