Azerbaijan's national parks: which one, and what for

Azerbaijan has ten national parks, and the differences between them are larger than most people expect. One is a relict forest millions of years old, another a bay where hundreds of thousands of birds gather in winter, a third a belt of 4,000-metre peaks. That is why "we're going to a national park" tells you nothing on its own — which one, and why, is what matters.

Mountain and forest parks

• Shahdag. The largest. Bazardüzü, Tufandağ, Shahdag and Xınalıq all lie inside it. Summit hikes, high pastures, multi-day expeditions. Season: June–October.
• Hirkan. In the Lənkəran–Astara strip, a relict forest considered rare worldwide. Ironwood and silk acacia among species surviving from the ice age. Season: April–November.
• İlisu. In the Qax district; waterfalls, narrow gorges, dense forest. One of the most convenient parks for day routes.
• Göygöl. Mount Kəpəz and a system of lakes created by an earthquake. The country's best-known landscape.
• Zangezur. In Nakhchivan, a dry mountain environment; an important area for the goitered gazelle and the bezoar goat.

Lowland and wetland parks

• Gizilagaj. On the southern Caspian, an internationally important area for wintering birds. Hundreds of thousands of birds in winter, flamingos included.
• Aggol. A wetland in the Kur-Araz lowland; one of the best birdwatching points in the country. Season: winter and the spring migration.
• Shirvan. Near Salyan; the core area for the gazelle population. The chances of actually seeing the animal are higher here than in other parks.
• Absheron. Half an hour from Baku; gazelles, Caspian seals and sea coast. The fastest way to touch nature without leaving the city behind.
• Altiagaj. Wooded hills between Xızı and Şamaxı. People go for the colours in autumn.
• Samur–Yalama. Liana-covered coastal forest on the Caspian shore — there is no second place like it in the country.

Choosing by season

• Winter: Gizilagaj, Aggol, Shirvan (birds and gazelles), Absheron.
• Spring: Altiagaj, İlisu, Hirkan — plenty of water, fresh green.
• Summer: Shahdag and Göygöl — the only cool options.
• Autumn: Altiagaj, Hirkan, Samur–Yalama — the colour season.

Before you go

Entry to most national parks is paid, and registration is taken at the gate. Some zones have strict reserve status and are closed without a permit — particularly near the border. Part of Shahdag National Park falls inside the border zone, so a border permit may be required there; in practice it is obtained through a tour operator rather than by an individual traveller.

The general rules are the same everywhere: stay on the trail, fires only in designated places, carry out your waste, do not feed the animals, drones require a separate permit.

We cover the parks individually in the articles that follow. For routed options, some starting points: Kəpəz peak + Göygöl and Maralgöl, the Hirkan tour, Qax, the Qoçyataq waterfall.