Mayon Volcano, Albay

Mount Mayon can be seen in the Province of Albay, southeast of Luzon, Philippines. Mount Mayon is an active volcano. It has a perfectly shaped cone. Consider the weather if you want to see the volcano. Skies should be clear. We were just lucky when we went there, everything was just perfect. Looking at the volcano was like looking at a postcard.

Mayon Volcano, also known as Mount Mayon, is an active stratovolcano in the province of Albay, in the Bicol Region, on the island of Luzon, in the Philippines.

Renowned as the “perfect cone” because of its almost symmetrically conical shape, Mayon forms the northern boundary of Legazpi City. Local folklore refers to the volcano as Bulkang Magayon (Bikol: ‘Beautiful Volcano’), after the legendary heroine Daragang Magayon (Bikol: ‘Beautiful Lady’).

Mayon has undergone forty-nine eruptions in recorded history. The first recorded major eruption was in 1616. Its 48th and latest major eruption was a quiet effusion of lava on July 14, 2006, which was aggravated when a lahar caused by the rains of Typhoon Durian followed on November 30, 2006. A further summit eruption occurred on August 10, 2008. Starting in January 2011, the volcano is weakly erupting and may be building up to a larger hazardous eruption.

The most destructive eruption of Mayon occurred on February 1, 1814. Lava flowed but not as much compared to the 1766 eruption. Instead, the volcano was belching dark ash and eventually bombarding the town with tephra that buried the town of Cagsawa. Trees were burned; rivers were certainly damaged. Proximate areas were also devastated by the eruption with ash accumulating to 9 m (30 ft) in depth. 2,200 Albay locals perished in what is considered to be the most lethal eruption in Mayon’s history.

Mayon Volcano
Albay Province
Southeast Luzon
Philippines