Rent a Car in Mexico and Volcanoes of Mexico

Mexico has a large number of volcanoes, many which lie in an east-west band aptly named the "Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt". When you visit with your rent a car Mexico, some of these are great destinations to visit for their scenic beauty.

Have you seen snow in Mexico?

The Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt stretches 900 kilometers from west to east in central-southern Mexico. Locally it is known as Sierra Nevada (Snowy Range) because the peaks of the highest mountains have snow all year long. When the weather is clear, you can see the volcanoes from far away in your rent a car Mexico. Several of the peaks that appear in this range are active and dormant volcanoes. This is also home to the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt pine-oak forests, which is one of the Mesoamerican pine-oak ecoregions.

Touring Mexico's volcanoes

If you choose to visit some of Mexico's peaks with your rent a car Mexico, here are some of the more notable ones to see:

Nevado de Colima - this is the most active volcano in Mexico; it has erupted more than 40 times since 1576. This volcano is located straddles the states of Colima and Jalisco on the western edge of the volcano range. It is located about 300 miles west of Mexico City with your rent a car Mexico. There are actually two peaks here, the older and inactive Nevado de Colima and the very active Volcan de Colima. The volcano is currently undergoing activity characterized by the formation of the lava dome and occasional larger explosions. The most recent explosion was in 2005 when an ash cloud rose over 3 kilometers over the volcano.

Paricutin - Located in the state of Michoacan, this is often listed as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. This volcano began as a fissure in a cornfield in 1943 when it erupted and grew into what it is today. Most of the growth occurred in the first year after eruption. The village nearby of the same name and San Juan Parangaricutiro were both covered in ash and lava and residents were forced to relocate to nearby vacant land. There were several eruptions until 1952 when the volcano went quite and stood at 424 meters above the cornfield. This is a monogenetic volcano, meaning that it will not erupt again. When you drive through here with your rent a car Mexico, you may wonder what this area looked like only a century ago when it was flat.

Popocatepetl - Commonly called El Popo, this active volcano is the second highest peak in Mexico and is linked to the Iztaccihuatl volcano to the north. El Popo has had over 20 major eruptions since the Spanish arrived, including a major eruption in 1947. Located only 70 kilometers from Mexico City with your rent a car Mexico, the volcano can often been seen by residents, weather permitting. El Popo is linked to Iztaccihuatl in Aztec mythology in a story of love and war. Learn more about it when you visit with your rent a car Mexico.

Mexico is home to a large number of volcanoes which you can see with your rent a car Mexico. Many are located in a fairly small region stretching across the country.