Cerro del León, Stratovolcano in El Loa Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile.
Cerro del León is a stratovolcano in El Loa Province that rises to 5,776 meters and features two nested summit craters, each measuring 270 meters across. The craters sit concentrically stacked, creating the distinctive shape visitors see at the top.
This volcano formed through three distinct phases of andesitic lava flows, with the most recent activity occurring thousands of years ago. During the last ice age roughly 15,000 years ago, glaciation significantly reshaped the mountain's structure.
The summit holds an Inca sacred site, showing how indigenous peoples considered this mountain spiritually important long before modern times. Visitors walking to the top can still see traces of this religious use, which shaped how people understood the landscape.
The best access point is from the city of Calama, which offers multiple trekking routes up the mountainside. Plan your visit during dry months when weather is more stable and conditions safer for climbing.
This mountain aligns linearly with Paniri and Toconce volcanoes, stretching across the Chilean Central Volcanic Zone. This arrangement reveals the geological forces that shaped the region and offers insight into how the Andes' volcanic structure is organized.
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