Volcán Pabellones

When it comes to points of nature around the world, sometimes it’s difficult to find truth on what site truly earns an honorific. There are numerous claims by local tour guides and on the Internet about the “smallest” volcano in the world. Volcán Pabellones, about 26 feet (8 meters) high and approximately 13 feet (4 meters) in diameter, just might take the crown.

The tiny volcano sits behind small houses off a through road hours south of Cusco. Surrounded by a small fence and marked with a modest plaque, it receives few visitors—on a typical day, there were no tourists around.

Other contenders for the title of world’s smallest volcano include Cuexcomate in Mexico, which is said to be 43 feet (13 meters) tall. Problem is that, while it’s called a volcano, many actually consider it to be a geyser. Meanwhile, the Taal Volcano in the Philippines is touted online as the smallest active volcano, though it is about 1,020 feet (311 meters) tall.

An emerging area of research for volcanologists—yes, this is a job title—is very tiny volcanoes. There is one being studied in Colombia that is just 3 centimeters tall. The area around it that is closed off is only 10 centimeters. These tiny volcanoes are scientifically interesting, but perhaps so small that there’s not much to see.

Volcán Pabellones is worth a stop because it’s large enough to truly come across as a volcano, but yet, it’s mini.