Balochistan

Gwadar: the hammerhead on the Arabian Sea

Omani territory until 1958, a fishing town for most of its history, and a coastline that looks like nowhere else in the country.

6 min read Balochistan

Gwadar sits on a hammerhead peninsula on the Makran coast, joined to the mainland by a sandy isthmus about twelve kilometres long. A rocky ridge called Koh-e-Batil runs along the head of it, about 150 metres high.

The shape is the point. Two bays, one on each side, and a landscape of wind-carved rock behind the town that has almost no parallel in Pakistan.

A short history

Gwadar belonged to the Sultanate of Oman from 1783. Pakistan bought it, and Oman formally handed it over on 8 September 1958 — which means it has been Pakistani for well under a century.

For almost all of its history it was a fishing town and still largely is; the fish-processing plant remains the main industry.

The deep-sea port and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor have changed the trajectory sharply. China took operational control of the port in 2013, investment has run into the billions, and a new airport began commercial operations in January 2025. The city proper still had under 71,000 people at the 2023 census.

Places worth your time

Koh-e-Batil: The ridge along the peninsula head, with the town on one side and open sea on the other.
West Bay and East Bay: The shallow western bay is where the fishing boats sit; the deeper eastern one holds the port.
Hingol National Park: On the coastal road back toward Karachi — mud volcanoes, the Princess of Hope rock formation and the Makran coastal cliffs. The drive is the attraction.
Astola Island: Pakistan's largest offshore island, reached by boat, with turtles nesting and no facilities at all.

Before you go

November to February; anything else is very hot. Flights go to the new airport, or it is a long two-day drive along the coast from Karachi. Check current travel advice for Balochistan carefully.

Add Gwadar to a trip All city guides

Also in Balochistan