Volcanoes
Volcanoes come in many shapes and sizes, and their eruptions vary hugely in both frequency and intensity. Many volcanoes are tourist attractions and are worth a visit provided you take due care, in particular keeping a safe distance from eruptions.
Eruptions are extremely dangerous; the worst of them cause complete devastation over wide areas, sometimes with a large death toll. Despite the risk, due to the renowned fertility of volcanic soil, there are often large agricultural settlements close to volcanoes.
UnderstandNeither volcanoes nor eruptions are particularly common. A list at the Smithsonian shows 1,222 volcanoes which have erupted in the Holocene Epoch (since the end of the last Ice Age, about 10,000 BCE).
Stay safeScientists can make predictions about volcanic activity, and those predictions are good enough that travellers should check for current warnings when planning any trip to a volcanic area.
DestinationsThis section lists some of the more active or better known volcanoes in the world today; some of these can still be explored from up close.
Travel agenciesIn many areas — at least the Philippines, Italy and Costa Rica — many local travel agencies offer guided tours to their region's volcanoes. There are also agencies that specialize in volcano tourism.
See also
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Volcanoes" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0