Volcano Adventures: Boarding, Craters and Burning Rocks

Volcanoes attract adventurers for good reason: black ash slopes, steaming craters and rocks that burn without stopping. Some of these experiences are extreme, others are an easy evening walk. Did you know that one of the world's most famous natural flames is not in a volcano at all, but on a hillside just a few hours from Antalya?

Volcano Boarding in Nicaragua

On Cerro Negro, a young and still active volcano in Nicaragua, visitors hike up loose volcanic gravel and slide back down on a wooden board. Riders wear protective suits and goggles because the sharp gravel can cut skin. It is one of the few places in the world where this activity is offered commercially.

Yanar Dag: The Burning Mountain of Azerbaijan

Near Baku, natural gas escaping from the ground keeps a long wall of flame burning on a hillside. Yanar Dag means burning mountain, and the fire has been burning for decades. It is not a volcano, but it shows how gas from deep underground can create a natural fire.

Volcanic Landscapes in Türkiye

• Mount Ağrı (Ararat): Türkiye's highest mountain, a dormant volcano in the far east.
• Erciyes: an extinct volcano near Kayseri, with ski runs on its slopes.
• Nemrut Caldera: near Lake Van, with crater lakes inside the volcano.
• Kula: a volcanic landscape in Manisa with young cones and lava fields, recognised as a UNESCO Global Geopark.

Yanartaş: Antalya's Eternal Flames

Above Çıralı, south of Kemer, small flames burn from cracks in the rock day and night. The site, known as Yanartaş or the Chimaera, is linked to the ancient myth of a fire-breathing monster. Like Yanar Dag, the flames are fed by natural gas seeping from the ground.

Visiting tips

The walk up to the flames takes about half an hour on a stone path. The best time to go is after sunset, when the flames are most visible. Wear good shoes and bring a torch for the way back down.