Nature

A volcano on Stromboli, an island off the coast of Italy, erupted on July 3, killing one person, a hiker, and injuring one other. The eruption, which occurred on the west side of the island, caused fires and a heavy ashfall across the popular tourist spot but caused no other damage.

Stromboli is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth, having been in a state of constant eruption since 1932. However, that continual eruption is usually not explosive.

On the 2-day tour “Winter Ice Cave Discover with Northern Lights Spotting,” visitors can enter ice caves in the Jökulsárlón Glacier with Hidden Iceland (Reykjavik, Iceland; phone +354 770 5733, www.hiddeniceland.is).

Day one is spent seeing waterfalls, a gorge and the Vatnajökull ice cap. On day 2, tour members hike up the glacier with guides seeking ice caves, which form anew each winter. (Ice caves can be dangerous but are more stable in winter than in warmer months.) This entails up to 1½ hours of moderate hiking on uneven surfaces in each direction.

12-day, 11-night rail trip in northern MEXICO, Nov. 8-19, 2019, and March 13-24 & Nov. 6-17, 2020. Highlights: From El Paso, Texas, pass through Chihuahuan Desert to prehistoric site at Casas Grandes/in Creel, 16th-century church San Ignacio Arareko/cross Sierra Madre into Copper Canyon to visit Tarahumara Indian village/El Fuerte/Alamos/Guaymas Pearl Farm at Sea of Cortez in Sonora. $2,995 ppdo. Single supp., $1,000. Uncommon Journeys & Train Holidays (Alameda, CA; 800/323-5893, www.uncommonjourneys.com).

Over the years, I have traveled to more than 100 countries. In 2018, I decided to visit Bolivia and Lake Titicaca for the first time. I chose to go with Wilderness Travel (Berkeley, CA; 800/368-2794, www.wildernesstravel.com).

I had known of the company for years, but, not being a hiker, I had never used them. This was not a trek but a tour, "Bolivia!," Aug. 30-Sept. 12, 2018, and Wilderness Travel's was the most interesting one I found.

6-day, 5-night "recreational-level" active trek. Departures May 12, 19, 26 & June 2, 9, 2019. Highlights: In Reykjavík, mountain bike through Þingvellir National Park/in Laugarvatn, Fontana Spa/bike to Gullfoss (waterfall)/horseback ride along south coast near Hekla volcano and through moss-covered lava fields in Lakagígar/hike in Vatnajökull National Park/bike atop 1,110-foot-tall Mt. Reynisfjall. From $5,699 per person, double occupancy (ppdo). Single supp., 1,100.

Volcán de Fuego, in the Chimaltenango department of south-central Guatemala, erupted with lava and ash on Nov. 18, triggering the evacuation of more than 2,000 people.

The 12,000-foot volcano is one of the most active in Central America. Nearly 200 people were confirmed killed when it last erupted in June 2018, with many more still considered missing and presumed dead.