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Volcanoes

Gently erupting volcanoes with gushing lava flows & fountains are a volcano geek’s wildest dream come true. When they are quiet, they also offer stunning hiking routes in otherworldly landscapes.

Standing next to a line of 8 erupting craters is a whole new level of the mind being blown. This was completely Off The Scale.

I stood utterly mesmerized looking upon the creation process of Earth itself.

And then there’s this beautiful yet ‘unpronounceable’ volcano, silently looming in the background. Until it erupted into world fame…

Midnight sunset on Heimaey, Iceland.
Vestmannaeyjar – A force of nature that can’t be denied

Vestmannaeyjar – A force of nature that can’t be denied

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When I saw the volcanic island shapes of Vestmannaeyjar shimmering on the horizon, I felt immediately drawn to them. It was like a force of nature that couldn’t be denied. I just had to go there. Sailing into Heimaey harbour, through a narrow opening between a jumbled chain of steep cliffs and a huge field of lava flows, is mind-blowing. Vestmannaeyjar – also known as the Westman Islands – contains the youngest volcanic island and (until recently) the newest volcano in Iceland.

Pico del Teide, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Pico del Teide – A volcanic playground

Pico del Teide – A volcanic playground

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Pico del Teide on Tenerife is the biggest mountain of Spain. Surrounded by a huge caldera, its peak rises up an astonishing 3718 metres into thin air. Its flanks are a volcanic playground, with a multitude of colourful cones and bizarre cathedral-like formations, and winding roads along titled layers of rock. You can go all the way to the top of Pico del Teide by cable car and enjoy amazing views over the Canary Islands.

Etna about to go off, Sicily, Italy.
Mount Etna – Vigorously steaming from all its craters

Mount Etna – Vigorously steaming from all its craters

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Mount Etna is Europe’s most active volcano, and it’s in a constant state of excitement. There’s always something going on around the slopes of Etna. Often it’s just quietly steaming away, and you can do many beautiful hikes in the summit area. But when it erupts it can cough up large rivers of lava, fissure fountains, strombolian fireworks, fuming ash clouds and everything inbetween from its various craters.

View to the top of Stromboli.
Stromboli – The ancient lighthouse of the Mediterranean

Stromboli – The ancient lighthouse of the Mediterranean

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Stromboli is the stuff of legends and the ancient lighthouse of the Mediterranean. The volcano island has been erupting its mesmerizing glow for over 2000 years, in such a way it has actually become the ‘type locality’ for it. When I saw its triangular shape looming on the horizon, it was pulling me like a force from the centre of the earth, excited to finally see the strombolian action from up close.

Camino de Jinama, El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain.
El Hierro – A volcanic hotspot underneath the sea

El Hierro – A volcanic hotspot underneath the sea

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El Hierro, the most remote and authentic of the Canary Islands, with volcanic activity still bubbling underneath the sea. Once considered as the edge of the known world, El Hierro consists mostly of huge cliffs rising straight up from the sea to over 1000 metres high, and an enormous crescent shaped valley. It’s absolutely spectacular.

Helgafell volcano, Heimaey, Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland.
The walking track to Helgafell – The twin volcano

The walking track to Helgafell – The twin volcano

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Helfgafell offers sweeping surround views of brooding volcanoes and a heart-shaped crater. For a long time, Helgafell was the ruling volcano on Heimaey. The one that merged the chain of rocks to the north and Stórhöfði to the south into the present island, its classic volcano-shaped silhouette dominating the interior. Hike to the top and you may have Helgafell with its beautiful views virtually for yourself.

Lipari harbour, Aeolian Islands, Italy.
Island hopping on the Aeolian Islands

Island hopping on the Aeolian Islands

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The Aeolian Islands in south Italy are the stuff of legends and a geological paradise. Stromboli, the ancient lighthouse of the Mediterranean, is famous for its fountain eruptions. Vulcano gave its name to the eruptive mountains we now know as volcanoes. Regular ferries from Naples or Milazzo on Sicily to Stromboli, Lipari and Vulcano make it easy to go island hopping between volcanoes on the Aeolian Islands.