As of Jun 19, 2026, 8:54 PM, in season now. Earth Exhibit tracks the live conditions and flags it the moment it is on.
Villarrica (Rucapillán) is one of only a handful of volcanoes on Earth with a persistent lava lake, and one of the most active in South America.
Since the early 1980s an open magma column has sat in its summit crater, and the current eruptive phase has continued since 2014–2015 with Strombolian bursts and steady incandescence.
On clear, active nights the glow reflects off the steam plume and is visible from Pucón and the shore of Lake Villarrica below — a rare case where a town watches a living crater light up after dark.
By day, guided crews climb the snow-and-ice cone (about 5–6 hours up) to the rim, where gas masks let them look toward the glow of the vent itself; they slide back down the snow chutes in a fraction of the time.
Activity and alert level fluctuate constantly, so SERNAGEOMIN can close the summit without warning.
Where to see it
A taste of where to see it. The full map, exact coordinates and the best timing for each spot live in the app.
| Viewing spots |
|---|
| Villarrica Summit Crater Rim |
| Pucón Lakefront (La Poza / Costanera) |
| + 1 more spot, with exact coordinates and timing, in the app → |
This is the short version
This page shows a taste. The app has the full list of where to see this, the exact timing, and live conditions for 1,000+ natural phenomena worldwide, so you know the moment one is genuinely worth the trip.