Molten rivers of magma, clouds of sulphur and a light hail of lava are not the kind of conditions most people seek out when considering where to spend their two weeks of holiday time. But if you are looking for something other than sun, sand and sea (and there’s quite enough of that in Malta anyway), seeing an active volcano close up has all the ingredients of a once- in-a-lifetime trip.
Local guides enjoy scaring tourists by flinging water into crevices only to have it rush out again in a violent burst of boiling steam
It provides great picture opportunities and just the right amount of risk to get the adrenaline going without any real threat to life and limb (provided, of course, that you take some reasonable precautions).
For a super-heated adventure and some awesome photographs, put one of these volcanic must-visit locations on your holiday agenda.
Mount Batur, Bali
You can scale Mount Batur in just two hours, making it a great volcano to hike for beginners, especially since the local guides are excellent at pep talks along the way if you are flagging.
The last section is a challenging walk, as the crater slopes vertiginously off on one side and the surface of the path turns to slippery volcanic ash.
Keep plodding though, because at the summit, if the weather is fine, the entirety of Bali is laid out before you, as is a rather good breakfast of volcanic eggs, boiled in the steam of this active volcano.
If it’s drizzly, you’ll miss the sunrise (everyone climbs in the dark to watch the sun come up at the summit so a torch and warm clothes are essential), but it’s still very atmospheric at the top, with plumes of steam drifting over the verdant green mountain slopes. Macaques will hang around waiting for your leftovers.
There are over 20 beautiful temples to break up the return trip, presumably because when the super volcano beneath Indonesia blows next time, the explosion will be on such an epic scale that we’ll need as many prayers as we can get.
You can soak this particular worry away in the natural hot springs on the edge of the crater lake Danau Batur when you get back (although there are mixed reports about cleanliness and some aggressive touts), then ease your aching limbs with a Balinese massage.
Kilauea, Big Island, Hawaii
Kilauea means ‘spewing’, which is a blunt but accurate name. Lava flows continuously from the summit, snaking down until it meets the ocean, which results in some incredible scenes as the sea water vaporises and creates ‘laze’ (a lava haze) at 1,100°C.
It’s sometimes possible to hike to both the source of the lava at Pu’u O’o crater and the lava flows on the coast, although the flow alters continuously, so how close you get depends on the conditions. You can also cheat and take a helicopter trip to ensure great lava views if you have deep pockets.
Other highlights on the Big Island include the Sulphur Banks, where volcanic gases seep upwards, leaving coloured mineral deposits on the rocks and Devastation Trail, where lava annihilated an entire forest.
Mount Etna, Sicily
Mount Etna continues to perform beautifully, producing regular lava fountains.
It’s very accessible from Malta and if you take your car over on the ferry, you can drive yourself up the torturous windy mountain road through frozen fields of lava to Rifugio Sapienza. On a clear day, the views are superb and you’ll also find the obligatory overpriced cup of coffee and gift shop experience.
Take the cable car onwards from here though, and it’s a different world. The snow can be metres deep and it’s an exhilarating three- or four-hour climb to the summit of one of the authorised craters. Make sure you are well shod and properly dressed as the temperatures plummet at the top. Alternatively, you can also pay to be taken to the summit in a jeep.
As you climb, hot gusts of steam puff from rumbling snow-covered craters, creating atmospheric, drifting clouds of “vog”. Hot patches of rock in between the snowdrifts leave you in no doubt about the potency of this volcano even when it’s relatively idle.
Etna has had lots of practice at erupting; it’s been going for over 300,000 years and is now the tallest active volcano in Europe. With such an amazing sight so close to home (you can even book a day trip from Malta), there’s really no excuse not to go.
Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Lanzarote is an astonishing island. Volcanoes have shaped every inch of it, from the underwater lava tunnels that draw divers from all over the world, to Timanfaya National Park, an active volcano which is still steaming feverishly at its summit. You can drive up yourself and then take a coach tour, for spectacular views of the solidified lava flows, twisted and folded into fantastical shapes.
The restaurant here cooks chicken in the gusts of scalding air from below the earth’s crust and the local guides enjoy scaring the tourists by flinging water into crevices only to have it rush out again in a violent burst of boiling steam seconds later.
Elsewhere on the island, the artist Cesar Manrique has used the volcanic landscape to create unique buildings and gardens, with dramatic lava shapes being a key feature inside and outside his houses.
Mount Vesuvius, Italy
When Vesuvius blew in AD 79, it generated surges of heat that enveloped the city of Pompeii. Citizens were killed instantly and then frozen for ever in time by the subsequent ash fall. Pompeii is fascinating to visit, providing a glimpse into everyday life in Roman times. Many of the buildings and frescoes are stunningly well preserved and casts of everything from dogs, to families, to dinners on plates remain intact, caught forever as everyday life abruptly halted.
To visit the volcano, you need to take a 4x4 bus from the car park (if you’re not driving, take a bus from any of the nearby towns to the car park). That will get you within 600 metres of the summit; but there is no alternative but to walk after that.
The terrain is loose lava which gradually changes colour as you trudge upwards. Go prepared with decent shoes; flip flops would be most unadvisable. It is worth it though to peer into the abyss of shifting, sulphur smelling gas at the summit.
Volcano hotline
If you want to be at the cutting edge of volcano viewing, check out Discover the World. This tour operator will call you as soon as a volcano blows and can have you out at the eruption site within hours.
Register at volcanohotline@discover-the-world.co.uk. They also offer a range of specialist volcano holidays; an eight-night Volcano Explorer Holiday will set you back around €1,200 plus flights and takes in the south coast of Iceland, including the now infamous Eyjafjalljokull volcano.