For a low-danger encounter, try hiking up to the crater on the Greek island of Santorini (also known as Thira), in the Aegean Sea. This dormant volcano sits a short distance away from the inhabited main part of the island, across a narrow bay. These two parts of the island were once a single, enormous
Iandmass, until a monumental eruption in 1600 BC caused the crater to collapse and wiped out the Minoan civilization on Santorini and nearby Crete. Only guided tours are allowed to hike right into the crater, where sulfuric gases hiss out of crevices. En route, you’ll get one of the best views of the mainland.
Costa Rica’s Arenal Volcano National Park features two volcanoes: the recently active Arenal Volcano and the long-extinct Chato Volcano, a collapsed crater that now contains a lagoon. Though Arenal has been quiet since October 2010, and has not been prone to showy displays of lava and ash, the park is still an excellent place to explore. Hiking trails crisscross the lush terrain, where you canwalk through lava fields from previous eruptions, while rain forest hikes allow you to see the exotic native flora and fauna.
Iceland is one of the world’s most active volcanic zones. With more than 130 volcanoes in various stages of activity, there is always something erupting somewhere. You can get a bird’s-eye view from a small plane or helicopter, but my advice is to hop aboard a “superjeep” to really get that immersive experience of the otherworldly terrain. A company like Iceland Rovers (www.icelandrovers.is) will take you in a 4x4 through the moonlike landscape of craters and lava, and to one of the best photo ops in the region: the geothermal springs and lakes of Krysuvik. Remember the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano? The family that owns the nearby farm has built a visitors center, where you can see the progression of the massive eruption through photographs and video. And here’s a fun fact: Iceland’s Snsefellsjokull was the volcano that inspired Jules Verne’s novel Journey to the Center of the Earth.
New Zealand sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the tectonic ridge that stretches from north to south and causes massive geological activity. Mount Ruapehu, Mount Tongariro, and Mount Ngauruhoeare part of the Tongariro National Park, a World Heritage site. The lunarlike volcanic landscape can be viewed from various vantage points on land and in the air, but the best way to see it is along the Tongariro Crossing, one of the world’s top one-day hikes. It’s an 8-hour trek through steaming fumaroles, jagged lava flows, the Red Crater, and Emerald Lakes. Also in New Zealand, just offshore from Auckland, is Rangitoto Island, an extinct volcano where you can hike over rugged lava outcroppings on your way to see the view of Waitemata Harbor from the top.
You don’t have to have a death wish to view two of the world’s most active volcanoes: Kilauea and Mauna Loa, both part of the 330,000-acre Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. You do have to have a sense of adventure to tackle the Napau Trail, a 14-mile round-trip hike that takes you through rugged and rough terrain to view the spewing Pu‘u ‘O‘o vent. Since the active vent actually collapsed recently, you can no longer camp overnight, but the trail is wide open for day hikes. For another challenge, try the Kilauea Iki Trail, which starts at the crater rim and drops 400 feet entirely through rain forest terrain to the steaming crater floor. www.nps.gov/havo.
The volcanoes of Ecuador are more than impressive. Avenue of the Volcanoes is comprised of more than 200 miles of volcanoes stretching across a valley between the Cordillera ranges. Volcan Cotopaxi, one of the highest peaks in Ecuador, is manageable for nearly all levels of fitness, but it’s definitely a challenge. Make sure you spend at least 2 days acclimatizing in Quito, and don’t be afraid to hike at night, when the ground is firmer and you can ascend the peak at dawn when you can see the sun rising over the Andes. If you’re feeling suicidal, try a 2-day hike up the mighty Antisana, where you’ll cross lava and snowpacks, pass through a cloud forest, and climb a technically difficult glacier — and be rewarded with some of the most spectacular scenery in the world.
Insider's Tips
Completely obsessed with volcanoes? Then the best option for you is Volcano Discovery’s intensive 28-day World Volcano tour that takes you around the world to active volcanoes in Hawaii, Vanuatu, New Zealand, and Indonesia. Best of all, this is a totally upscale, easy trip that anyone can do, as long as you’ve got a spare $10,000.
See The Destruction Of A Volcano
Mount St. Helens in Washington State erupted famously in 1980, wiping out much of the nearby vegetation, wildlife, and homes in the process.
In 2004, the volcano semi-awoke again, and today more than 500,000 visitors per year come to see the ash, steam, and gases spewing from the crater. Much of the blast zone has been turned into the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, which can best be viewed from SR 504 (the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway) on the 51-miLe corridor through the Toutle River Valley. The excellent
Forest Learning Center has displays that tell the story of the eruption. Near the Coldwater visitors center is the 2.5-miLe Hummocks Trail, a little-known gem where you can see terrain that has built itself back, as well as some that still Looks how it did shortly after the blast. If you really want to immerse yourself in the experience, Mount St. Helens Institute has summer classes where you Learn about geoLogy, plants, and birds in and around the blast zone, and you can take a guided hike to the summit. www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/voLcanocams/msh.
The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines was so bad it wiped out the nearby Clark Air Force Base and ash-fall reached as far as Vietnam and Malaysa. Amazingly, there were no recorded eruptions before that cataclysmic event, which ravaged area villages and killed hundreds. Today, you can hike, drive a 4x4, or ride a helicopter to the crater Lake, where the breath taking scenery is still marked by heavy ash (known as Lahar) that’s a reminder of the sobering event.
How about a drive-in volcano? On the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, you can literally drive right into the Qualibou caldera. This dormant volcano, which is located near the town of Soufriere, is not actively spewing lava, so you won’t be in any danger. But you can park within feet of bubbling mud pools, boiling sulfur springs, and hissing steam vents. A visitors center shows videos about the volcano, and there’s a small, pretty waterfall nearby. But beware-the whole crater smells of rotten eggs, thanks to the sulfuric gases that permeate the air.
Want an easy way to see a geothermal wonderland? Head to Rotorua on New Zealand’s South Island, where the violent explosion of Mount Tarawera buried the Maori village of Te Wairoa in 1886.
Whakarewarewa Thermal Village is a spectacular geothermal park, where you can walk, without fear, just inches from spewing geysers, bubbling mud pools, steaming vents, and mineral springs. Here, you can also meet descendants of the survivors of the Tarawera eruption. www.whakarewarewa.com.
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