‘Spring of Snakes’ is a natural tourist wonder in the Kurdistan Region

Located on Soran-Erbil Highway, the ‘Spring of Snakes’, known locally as Kani Maran, is ten minutes away from Soran city and 92 kilometers (60 miles) from Erbil.

People from the area confirm that there aren’t actual snakes in the river, and tourists have no reason to fear. After all, the name comes from the water, not actual snakes.

“At the beginning, the water was so scarce it was only enough for a snake,” said Bakir Rasul, a shop owner from Kani Maran. “Water flows down from the spring on the top of the mountain. It was not so much at first, but then it increased. It is now several streams coming down. And that is why we call it the spring of snakes.”

Between the mountain and the river is a narrow passageway that used to be an old road. Little cabins have been built along this passageway so tourists can stay the night.

“It depends on the day and the demands,” Karwan Saleem told Kurdistan 24. “On the weekends, we rent each cabin for 30,000 dinars (about $20). On normal days it is 20,000 (approximately $13). If the demand is low, it will be even less than that.”

Kani Maran is right on the street, right on the river, right in the mountains. As a result, it gets crowded easily. Tourists often stop by to refresh themselves with the cool water flowing down from the mountain, using it for washing their faces and feet.

“We are on the way to go to the Choman area, but we stopped by to feel the water, take some photos, enjoy the fresh air and then go,” Adil Bassam, a tourist from Baghdad, told Kurdistan 24. “For me, this is a small paradise on the highway. It is incredible.”

Kani Maran is just five minutes away from Erbil’s famous Gali Ali Bag Waterfall, where hundreds of tourists enjoy the waterfall and the little pool beneath it.

“When I saw the waterfall, I was like ‘Wow’, because I have only seen the picture on the Iraqi currency notes,” said Safi Ghassan, a tourist from Basra. “But when I saw Kani Maran, I was amazed by its beauty and its freshness. I have no words to describe it.”

According to the tourists Kurdistan 24 talked to, this area offers several memorable sites, including Gali Ali Bag Waterfall, Bekhal, Kani Maran, Jundyan, Rawanduz, and Soran.