A major desert city with a population of over 75,000, Meybod offers a compelling stopover on the journey to or from Yazd. Its standout monument is the enigmatic Narenj Castle – a pile of eroded adobe ramparts and bastions lording it in spectacular fashion over the surrounding courtyard houses and dusty lanes.

Next to it stands one of our favourite restaurants in the country, where you can dine on succulent saffron kebabs marinated in walnut and pomegranate juice. The dining hall occupies a wing of an old, beautifully restored caravanserai. Other sections hold stalls selling colourful local weaving products and carpets. Shopaholics may also wish to explore the local pottery district.

Meybod has been famous for many centuries as a ceramics centre and the outskirts are scattered with traditional workshops where you can pick up traditional pots and tiles at bargain prices.