Kafari Gorge is located in the beautiful and spectacular province of Ilam, that is known as the bride of Zagros. This province has many beautiful and spectacular gorges and valleys, which are the best places to set up exciting tours and have an adventurous trip in the heart of the virgin and green nature of this region of our country.
Kafari Gorge is located near Badre city and is one of the most important and most visited places of Ilam. This gorge is located 15 kilometers north of Badra city, three kilometers north of Waliasr city and on the Ilam road towards Dera Shahr valley.
Three kilometers north of Valiasr town towards Kafri Strait, there is a stone quarry that the path of the gorge passes by and it is completely dirt and sandy. Before the Simre Dam was built in this area and near the Kafari Gorge, you could reach this gorge without a boat and even go to the Brijan Gorge. But now you have to ride a boat to reach Kafri and reach this place by crossing the river.
This strait is known as Kafri strait and Shaddad strait. The local people of the area believe that the reason for naming this place is related to the time of the Arabs’ attack and they believe that due to the resistance of the people against the Arabs, this area became known as the Kafri Strait.
Kafri Strait is one of the beauties of Zagros, which is located behind the Samira Dam or Hini Mini and in a mountainous area between Kabirkoh, Dinarkoh and Manshet mountains. One of the reasons for the formation of this gorge and other beauties of Ilam is the existence of these heights. The river that flows in Tang Kafri originates from the towering and stable mountains of Kabirkoh, which after passing through Kafari, reaches the famous Simre river. This river together with water springs form this valley. The length of this dreamy narrow is two kilometers, which is located at an altitude of 700 meters above sea level, and with a stunning view of the river and the Simre dam, it is considered one of the most popular sightseeing places in Badra.
It may be interesting to know that the Kafri Gorge has also been of interest in the past, as according to archaeological research, this gorge has been one of the most important settlements in this region, and evidences from the Neolithic to the Iron and even Sassanian periods have been found in it. The architectural remains include a pillared building with a porch and porticoes with arched arches, niches, the foundations of the remaining columns and remains of plaster floors and exquisite plasterwork and metal objects, among the findings of archaeologists’ excavations in this gorge.
Iranian squirrel or Caucasian squirrel is a special animal species of Kafir Strait. This squirrel lives in areas such as the broad-leaved forests of the Caucasus, Anatolia, the Eastern Mediterranean and Zagros; which also exist in this gorge. The color of the back hair of this squirrel is brownish gray, the under body is yellow, the hair on the head and the back of the tail are fawn red. The red head and tail of the Iranian squirrel is a feature that distinguishes this mammal from other squirrels in Iran. Of course, as we move from the forests of the north of Zagros to the south, the color of this animal changes and it comes closer to the color of peas.
Kafari Gorge is full of miracles and wonders and you can see the beauty of nature as far as the eye can see. One kilometer from the entrance to this gorge, a water pond called Zamzam flows and at the end of it, the remains of a dam called Bareh Hele can be seen. The legendary oak forests, which are shelters for animals such as the Persian squirrel, the Kafari waterfall, numerous caves such as the Shodad cave, are other spectacular effects of this gorge.
In addition to the eye-catching nature of this place, the history and past also stand out in this gorge and show the cultural and historical richness of Tang Kafri to the visitors. The remains of architecture and ancient works and the shrine of Jaber form another corner of the sights of this amazing gorge.
Canoeing: The presence of the river water flow inside the Kafri Gorge allows for canoeing and passing through the gorge and drowning in the beauty of nature. The main recreation in this strait is boating, and there are many boats for tourists that you can experience this fun while visiting this place.
