Visiting a volcano: my top five experiences!

Although I’ve forgotten most of my school years (thank goodness) I still vividly remember learning about volcanoes in GCSE Geography. I just found them so interesting, and I enjoy reading books and watching documentaries about them to this day.

Over the years I’ve been fortunate to visit a fair few volcanoes and thought I would do a round-up of my favourite experiences for fellow volcanophiles. (Although only two of the volcanoes on this list are active it’s worth checking for any recent volcanic activity in advance of any trip, just in case.)

Without further ado, here are my recommendations for some awesome volcanoes to visit. One is on the Bolivian/Chilean border, one is in Ecuador, and three are in Japan.

Awesome volcano to visit no. 1: Licancabur, Bolivia/ Chile

Licancabur, a dormant stratovolcano, straddles the border between Chile and Bolivia. Whilst at first glance you might think ‘huh, that’s pretty’, what is perhaps more interesting is what’s at the base of the volcano.

On the Bolivian side of the border is Laguna Verde, a turquoise saline lake. Triggered by wind activity, the colour of the lake shifts from green glass to bright turquoise in the space of minutes. The lake itself is made up of arsenic and mineral deposits which gives the lake its colour, so no swimming allowed!

Laguna Verde is a popular stop on the journey from Uyuni in Bolivia across the salt flats to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile (and vice versa), so you’re unlikely to miss out on this amazing view.

(As an aside, Licancabur does also have a lake in its crater which I would have loved to have seen, but climbing the volcano and accessing the lake can be challenging, especially if you’re (most likely) taking a tour across the salt flats).

Awesome volcano to visit no. 2: Cotopaxi, Ecuador

Cotopaxi last erupted in 2016 and is one of the most active volcanoes in Ecuador, not that you’d notice these days. When I visited, the snowy summit was half-surrounded in cloud. It was breathtaking – both metaphorically and literally, given how high up we were (we were so high that we were actually passing through the clouds). 

It started to get real when we drove into Cotopaxi National Park and saw the warning signs:

Cotopaxi is a composite cone/ stratovolcano, meaning it has an explosive eruption style. Lava from composite cone volcanoes is usually quite thick and travels slowly, however there are other dangers. One of these is the volcanic ‘bombs’ that are ejected from the main vent during an eruption.

True to form, as we drove further into the park we passed by GIANT boulders that had been thrown from Cotopaxi during previous eruptions. Not only were they twice the height of me (I am 5”9) but they were not at all close to the volcano itself.

Surrounded by shallow lakes and alpine flowers, with horses grazing nearby and a condor flying overhead, the idea of this being the site of complete carnage was almost unthinkable.

Awesome volcano to visit no. 3: Mount Fuji, Japan

I have very little to say about Mount Fuji, other than here is my ‘view’ of Mt Fuji from the Shinkansen…

(You can find out more about my Japan adventures here).

Awesome volcano to visit no. 4: Hakone, Japan

I’ve already written a blog post about Hakone which you can read here, but Mount Hakone absolutely deserves a place on this list. 

Mount Hakone is a complex volcano, meaning there are different landforms and volcanic vents that make up the area rather than there being just one stand-out volcano. 

Although it hasn’t erupted in thousands of years, you can see visible signs of volcanic activity at Ōwakudani, which is on the popular circular route around the area. Here, you can see the smoking vents and smell the sulphur. You can also purchase boiled eggs for consumption, which are black from being cooked in sulphuric waters. (NB only the shell is black!)

You can also take the ropeway from Hakone-en Station (near Hakone Shrine) up to one of the peaks of Mount Hakone. In addition to views of Mt Fuji, you can also find Hakone Motogu Shrine, which was the ‘original’ Hakone Shrine before it was moved to the edge of Lake Ashinoko.

Awesome volcano to visit no. 5: Sakurajima, Japan

Sakurajima is – well, was – a small island off the coast of Kagoshima in Kyushu, Japan. It was originally an island, hence the name (‘shima’/ ‘jima’ means ‘island’ in Japanese), but an eruption in 1914 actually produced enough material to join Sakurajima to the mainland.

Sakurajima is still active and it shows – sometimes the volcano sends out puffs of silent clouds; other times it covers nearby Kagoshima in a thin layer of ash. At one end of the island you can even find a torii gate half-buried by ash from a previous eruption. 

As well as a visitor centre and museum about volcanic activity in the area, there’s also a free, open-air foot bath which is the perfect place to recover after exploring the area!

Do you have a favourite volcano you’d like to recommend? Or any books/documentaries? Comment below – I’d love to hear about them!