Mayon Volcano, Active stratovolcano in Albay, Bicol Region, Philippines
Mayon Volcano is a stratovolcano in Albay, Bicol Region, Philippines, rising 2,462 meters (8,077 feet) above Albay Gulf. The cone consists of layers of andesite and basalt built up by repeated eruptions over the centuries.
The year 1814 marked the most devastating eruption, when lava flows and pyroclastic surges buried the town of Cagsawa and killed roughly 1,200 people. Since then, the area has been evacuated multiple times, most recently during the 2000 and 2018 eruptions.
Mayon is regarded as sacred in Philippine mythology, and the volcano and its surroundings became the country's first national park on July 20, 1938. In 2016 UNESCO declared the Albay Biosphere Reserve, with Mayon as its centerpiece; a World Heritage nomination is under way.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology operates monitoring stations around the mountain and issues alert levels when seismic activity increases. Visitors should check current warning levels before traveling close to the slopes.
The Cagsawa church ruins stand a few kilometers from the summit and show only a bell tower rising from the 1814 lava blanket. Photographers often use the spot to frame the tower with the cone in the background.
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