The Caspian Sea is the largest salt-water lake in the world, rich in fish and caviar and famous for its natural resources of oil and gas. The coastal area consists of the provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran and with its lush, subtropical vegetation is in marked contrast to the rest of Iran.

The Caspian coast, generally referred to as 'Shomal' (the North) attracts a great number of Iranian tourists, not so much for its beaches as for its greenery and cooling rains. The area has seen some unrestrained development since the 1970's and the seaside resorts hold little of interest for the Western visitor, however the scenery, with its thickly wooded mountains and typical Caspian houses is still wild with a great variety of flora and fauna including jackals, bears and wolves. It is an excellent area for trekking or day hikes. The inland village of Masouleh is the most attractive and typical of the Caspian villages which can be reached by car or on foot from Rasht, the capital of Gilan. Other attractive towns include Bandar-e-Anzali, the main Caspian port established by the Russians in 1800 famous for its caviar fishery, Ramsar, Sari and Bandare-Torkaman.