If the thirst for experiential travel has reached a new peak for you, how about visiting a volcano? There are around 1,500 active ones across the world, and many of them are visitable – and located in places worth seeing, lava or no lava. Here’s Friday’s pick of the best.
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Etna and Stromboli
These massive volcanoes dominate the Italian island of Sicily, and what better reason to take advantage of the new direct flydubai flights to Catania, the city that sits beneath Etna’s hunking form? Beside being a ski destination, Etna is frequently disgorging ash and smoke, and there’s a good chance visitors will see a lava flow (best at night). Stromboli, another incredibly active volcano, is on an island between Sicily and the Italian mainland, and is best reached by boat or hydrofoil, or taken in through one of the helicopter tours from Taormina that fly over Etna, too. Make sure you’re there in the evening to watch the Sciara del Fuoco, where the near-constant lava activity creates fireworks against the night sky.
Nyiragongo
Considered the world’s most active lava lake, the churning heart of this volcano has to be seen to be believed – and it can be. In this beautifully conical stratovolcano located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, lava sits in a circular lake inside the crater – and occasionally spills over, streaming down the sides of the mountain at incredible speed. The volcano is located in Virunga National Park, home to mountain gorillas, which can be seen with an organised tour – volcano-adventures.com has trips that include camping at the volcano’s crater.
Sakurajima
Japan can thank volcanic activity for its mountainous make-up, and this three-part stratovolcano is making mountains right now. While hikers are not permitted up to volcano’s due to its increased activity, it’s possible to view the action from Yunohira Lookout or from the at-risk city of Kagoshima across the water (residents carry umbrellas to shield them from the frequent ash dumped on them by Minami-dake volcano.
Kilauea
Not only the most active volcano in the islands of Hawaii, but also one of the world’s most active, visitors to this shield volcano in the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park are almost guaranteed to see lava action. Close to the Pacific Ocean, lava from Kilauea can flow into the water and been seen from a boat. Many of the 2.6 million people who visit the volcano each year stop in at the Jaggar Museum, named for a noted geologist, which overlooks the caldera of Kilauea and neighbouring volcanoes.
Pacaya
Guatemala has the highest density of active volcanoes anywhere on the planet, including this complex volcano, popular with visitors due to its continuous activity and proximity to Guatemala City. It’s a tough two-hour hike up, but when the mountain is super active, that can mean walking on rock just inches away from lava. Kids sell marshmallows and sticks on the trek up, which can be toasted in nooks blasting hot air.
