Islands · last checked 25 September 2026
Barren Island: India’s only active volcano, from the boat
Barren Island is India’s only active volcano — a cone rising straight from the sea about 135 km north-east of Port Blair, which last erupted between July 2025 and January 2026. Visitors see it from the water: the government cruise, dive trips and foreign visitors are all barred from landing ashore. Here is what it is, when it last erupted, how to get there, and the honest truth about whether you will see it erupt.
What Barren Island actually is
- What
An uninhabited island about 3 km across and 354 m high, with a roughly 2 km caldera, some 135 km north-east of Port Blair. The A&N Administration describes it as India’s only active volcano.
- Activity
It erupts in periods: January–March 2017, 2018–2019, October 2019–January 2022, December 2022–August 2023, March–May 2024 and, most recently, 30 July 2025 to 11 January 2026, with ash plumes and lava flows (Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program).
- Access
Visitors see it from the water. Official rules for the government cruise, dive trips and foreign visitors all say no landing ashore, and the island is a notified wildlife sanctuary.
- Getting there
A long open-sea trip from Port Blair. The A&N Administration ran an overnight cruise in the 2025–26 season, and dive centres on Havelock run trips for experienced divers. It is not a casual half-day outing.
The government cruise sailed from Haddo Wharf in Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair), and dive trips leave from the dive centre's own base, so confirm the departure point with the operator. Our Port Blair travel guide covers the city end of a cruise trip.
The government cruise
In the 2025–26 season the A&N Administration’s Directorate of Shipping Services ran a fortnightly overnight cruise to Barren Island. It left Haddo Wharf in Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair) at 9 PM on a Friday, reached the volcano early on Saturday and was back around 4 PM, with no landing and no special permit needed. Sailings ran from 24 October 2025 to March 2026, weather permitting. As of 25 September 2026 no schedule for the 2026–27 season has been published — check the Directorate of Shipping Services for new sailings, or ask us and we will check.
Yes, it is genuinely active
On an active day you can watch a plume rise straight from the cone — this photo from our own library shows it venting, seen from a boat.
When did Barren Island last erupt?
Its most recent eruptive period ran from 30 July 2025 to 11 January 2026, according to the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program, with ash plumes and lava flows on the north flank; small eruptions on 13 and 20 September 2025 were also reported from the A&N Administration’s records. Before that it erupted in January–March 2017, 2018–2019, October 2019–January 2022, December 2022–August 2023 and March–May 2024. It was not listed among continuing eruptions at the end of March 2026, and we found no newer eruption report as of 25 September 2026.
Before you plan the trip
No landing on organised trips
The government cruise, dive trips and foreign visitors are all barred from landing ashore, and there is no walk up to the crater. You see the cone, the lava fields and — on an active day — venting, from the boat. That is the trip, and it is worth setting expectations before you book.
Activity is never promised
It is a real volcano on its own schedule. Some days you see a clear plume or an evening glow; some days just the smoking cone. We cannot guarantee an eruption, and anyone who does is selling you something. Between eruptive periods it can be quiet for months — the latest period ended in January 2026.
The sea has the final say
It is far out in open water, so the trip is weather-and-sea dependent and can be moved or cancelled on rough days. The official tourism portal gives October to May as the best time; the monsoon is the wrong window.
Diving is for experienced divers
Some dive centres run Barren trips for experienced, certified divers in the calm season, with a Forest Department permit because the island is a wildlife sanctuary. Tell us if diving is the point and we will check who is running trips for your dates.
The best months for the crossing line up with the calm season — the full month-by-month picture is on our weather and best-time page.
Questions, answered straight
Is Barren Island really an active volcano?
Yes. The A&N Administration describes it as India’s only active volcano, and it erupts in periods — the most recent ran from 30 July 2025 to 11 January 2026, with ash plumes and lava flows (Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program). Before that it was active in 2017, 2018–2022, 2022–2023 and 2024. Activity changes, so we confirm the current status when we plan your trip.
Can you land on Barren Island?
Not on any of the organised trips. Official rules for the government cruise, for dive trips and for foreign visitors all say no landing ashore, and the island is a wildlife sanctuary, where entry needs Forest Department permission. Visits are from the water — there is no trek to the crater.
How do you reach Barren Island?
By sea from Port Blair, about 135 km. In the 2025–26 season the A&N Administration ran a fortnightly overnight cruise from Haddo Wharf (Friday night out, back Saturday afternoon), with no special permit needed; no 2026–27 schedule had been published by 25 September 2026. Dive centres on Havelock also run trips for experienced divers, with a Forest Department permit. It is not a quick half-day trip.
Will I actually see it erupt?
Maybe. On an active day you might see a plume of ash and steam by day or a glow at night; on a quieter day you see the smoking cone and the lava fields. We do not promise an eruption because it is nature, not a show — we would rather you knew that before you booked.
Is it worth visiting Barren Island?
If the idea of watching India’s only active volcano from the water pulls at you — and you are up for a long boat day — it is genuinely special. If you want a relaxed beach outing, it is not that. It suits adventurous travellers and divers most; tell us which you are and we will be honest about the fit.
Can you scuba dive at Barren Island?
Yes, if you are an experienced diver. Some dive centres run Barren trips in the calm season, with a Forest Department permit because the island is a wildlife sanctuary, and the sea decides whether a trip runs. If diving is the main reason you want to go, tell us your dates and certification and we will check who is running trips.
When is the best time to see Barren Island?
The official tourism portal gives October to May, the calm-sea season; the government cruise ran from late October to March in 2025–26. The monsoon, June to September, is the wrong window for a long open-sea crossing.
How this page stays true
Written by the Tropical Andamans team; the photos are from our own library. The eruption history comes from the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program (read from its archived pages, as its website was offline on 25 September 2026) and the A&N Administration; the cruise details from the Administration’s Directorate of Shipping Services; the access rules from official notices — last checked 25 September 2026. A volcano’s activity changes, so this is a guide, not a promise — we confirm the current situation and the sea conditions before we plan a trip.
Want to see the volcano?
Tell us your dates and whether diving is part of the plan — we'll tell you honestly what the trip involves and whether the conditions suit it.