Leiqiong Geopark

Northern Hainan and the Leizhou peninsula across the strait form one volcanic field, and the Shishan cluster outside Haikou holds around forty craters, the youngest erupting within the last ten thousand years, close enough to the present that the lava is barely weathered. The park centres on Fengluling and Baoziling craters, climbed by steps to look into the bowls and out across the field, with lava tunnels below that can be walked, and villages built entirely of black basalt blocks, their walls, houses and even fences made from the rock underfoot. Vegetation has grown thickly over the flows.

What you actually see

• The craters - Fengluling and Baoziling, climbed and looked into.
• The lava tunnels - walkable tubes left by flowing lava.
• The basalt villages - houses and walls built from black volcanic stone.
• The crater field - around forty cones visible from the rim.

When to go

November to April for dry, mild weather; summer is hot and humid with typhoon risk. Mornings are cooler for the crater climbs. The park is quieter on weekdays.

Honest expectations

Craters are vegetated and shallow rather than dramatic, so the geology needs explaining. Entry is charged and interpretation is mostly Chinese. Tunnels can be closed after rain.

Nearby

Haikou lies northeast; the qilou streets are in the city.