Gunung Papandayan, Active volcano in West Java, Indonesia.

Gunung Papandayan is an active stratovolcano near Garut in the Indonesian province of West Java, rising to 2665 meters (8743 feet). Its summit area includes several adjacent craters that continuously emit steam, along with fumaroles releasing sulfurous gases and creating a yellowish crusted landscape.

A major eruption in the late 18th century destroyed dozens of villages at the foot of the mountain and reshaped the summit area with new crater openings. Further seismic events in the 20th century led to permanent monitoring efforts by Indonesian authorities.

The mountain's name is shared with the Papandayan crater at its summit, a 10-hectare active area where magma vents release steam that produces varied sounds. Visitors can also bathe in sulfurous hot springs at the Sumber Air Panas block, on the Cigenah block boundary, which local people use to treat skin ailments, especially itching.

The crater area is reached from Cisurupan, about 15 km southwest of Garut town; from Guntur Garut Terminal take a minibus to the Cisurupan market junction, then a pickup truck that leaves once full. Private cars can drive to a spacious parking area at the foot of the mountain. Visitors are urged to stay at least 2 km from the yellow craters.

Some fumaroles produce dense white plumes that suddenly obscure visibility depending on wind direction, then clear just as quickly. Not far from the main craters lies a zone of dead vegetation, where acidic gases have completely halted growth and created a ghostly scene.