COTOPAXI,ECUADOR
Sweeping upwards amid flat surrounds into a near-perfect cone sheathed in glaciers,this volcano is the stunning centrepiece of Cotopaxi National Park near Quito,which offers good hiking and wildlife spotting. Reaching the 5897-metre summit of the occasionally ash-spewing and rumbling Cotopaxi is however only for experienced climbers. It's part of Ecuador's Avenue of Volcanoes,which features 14 volcanoes strung over a 200-kilometre corridor,and culminating in the mighty 6263-metre Chimborazo. Seeecuador.travel
KILAUEA,US
Feeling brave? Kilauea volcano hit the news headlines recently when it erupted,destroying infrastructure and hundreds of homes and altering the landscape. The National Park Service has however just reopened Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. You can walk parts of the summit of Kilauea's crater,which is now four times bigger,and marvel at the devastation. The famous glowing lava lake has vanished,but a new shoreline features jagged lava outcrops and black-sand beaches. Seenps.gov/havo
MT VESUVIUS,ITALY
Surrounded by hot-mud springs and still occasionally rumbling,Vesuvius looms unnervingly close to Naples,with suburbs and vineyards rising up its slopes. Nearby are the two Roman archaeological sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum,both devastated by a massive eruption in 79AD. You can ascend to the rim of mainland Europe's only active volcano for fabulous views into the crater. Visit the observatory for background into volcanology. Seevisitnaples.eu
MT FUJI,JAPAN