Pinatubo, Stratovolcano in Central Luzon, Philippines
Pinatubo is a stratovolcano at the border of Zambales, Tarlac, and Pampanga in Central Luzon, rising to 1486 meters above sea level. Its wide crater now holds a turquoise lake surrounded by steep gray walls of volcanic ash and rock.
After six centuries of dormancy, the volcano awoke in 1991 and caused one of the largest eruptions of the 20th century, ejecting roughly 20 million tons of material. The blast reshaped the landscape and formed a wide caldera that filled with rainwater over the following years.
The Aeta live in surrounding villages and often work as guides, sharing their knowledge of the terrain and local plants with visitors. Many of them returned to their ancestral lands after the eruption and continue to practice their customs on the mountain.
Most visitors join organized tours starting from Santa Juliana in Capas, which include transport by four-wheel-drive vehicles followed by a trek through sandy terrain. Sturdy footwear, sun protection, and plenty of water are necessary for the hike through open and often hot landscape.
The eruption sent ash into the stratosphere and measurably cooled global temperatures the following year. Today, plants are regrowing on the slopes while erosion channels cut through deposits left in the 1990s.
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