Payun Matru, Shield volcano in Malargüe Department, Argentina.
Payun Matru is a shield volcano in the Malargüe Department of Mendoza Province, Argentina, and one of the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. Its broad, gently sloping sides are built from layers of hardened lava, giving the volcano a wide, dome-like profile rather than a sharp peak.
Payun Matru formed hundreds of thousands of years ago through repeated lava eruptions that built up its wide, layered structure over time. Its most recent known activity dates back only a few thousand years, which makes it geologically young by volcanic standards.
The name Payun Matru comes from the local indigenous language and refers to a bearded animal, likely a guanaco, which once roamed these lands in large numbers. Today, guanacos still cross the volcanic fields around the summit, making the name feel very much alive.
Getting to this volcano requires a high-clearance off-road vehicle and the company of a local guide, as there are no marked trails and the surrounding terrain is remote. A visit is most manageable between November and March, the Southern Hemisphere summer, when snow and strong winds are less of a concern.
Payun Matru is surrounded by one of the longest continuous lava fields on Earth, stretching for dozens of miles (kilometers) in several directions and looking remarkably fresh in places. Some sections of the lava surface are so intact that they seem to have cooled only recently, even though the last eruption happened thousands of years ago.
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