Mayon Volcano

Mayon is the most famous volcano in the Philippines, celebrated for having one of the most perfect, symmetrical cones in the world, rising majestically to 2,463 metres above the Bicol region in the southeast of Luzon. Beautiful but dangerously active, its flawless silhouette dominates the landscape around the city of Legazpi, and it is admired from viewpoints, the ruins of a church buried by an old eruption, and countryside ATV tours across its old lava fields. Its surroundings became the country's first national park in 1938, and the volcano is the centrepiece of the Albay Biosphere Reserve declared by UNESCO in 2016.

What's there

• The perfect cone - the near-flawless symmetrical volcano.
• Cagsawa Ruins - the church tower buried by an 1814 eruption.
• The ATV lava tours - the rides across the old lava fields.
• The viewpoints - the vistas of the cone around Legazpi.

When to go

December to May, the dry season, for the clearest views, as the summit is often shrouded in cloud; a clear morning shows the perfect cone at its best. Note that Mayon is genuinely active and can erupt, closing access, so check the current alert level.

Good to know

The summit is very often hidden by cloud, so a clear view of the famous cone is not guaranteed; patience and a clear morning help. It is a genuinely active and dangerous volcano, so climbing high on it is restricted or off-limits, and eruptions periodically close the area and displace locals, so check the alert level. The region also sees typhoons.

Nearby

The whale-shark interactions of Donsol and the Bicol coast are nearby.

Key facts