Heat up your vacation with a visit to a spa in the crater of an active volcano

A visit to the sauna can be a rejuvenating experience but would you be able to relax on in active volcano?

Just off the southern coast of Japan, Aogashima Island is a unique paradise about 200 miles from Tokyo. The  sparsely populated island is actually a giant volcanic crater that surrounds a smaller active volcano, according to the Daily Mail.

The last eruption occurred in 1781, killing an estimated 170 people but today the population is estimated at around 205 residents. The entire island has since been classified as Class-C active volcano by the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Though travel to is island isn’t easy, Aogashima ‘s biggest draw is its natural saunas and spas, fueled by volcanic heat. The volcano also provides steam that creates hot water and heating, free for all island residents.

Yasuhito Izuki, a photographer from Saitama, Japan spent three days exploring the rugged terrain.

“Despite the volcano the people living there are living just as an ordinary Japanese, they fish and have agriculture and of course look after tourists,” Izuko told the Daily Mail after a recent trip to the island.

“Unlike the James Bond villains they are not plotting world destruction but have lived there in some cases for generations.”

The island is only accessible by helicopter or boat, but those options aren’t cheap. Travel by sea costs about $77 for a two hour ride. By air, expect to shell out nearly $150 for a one way, 40 minute trip.

Still, perhaps a small price to pay for some natural pampering. Check more information on Aogahima in the video below.

[youtube  jfwcl6HRDsk]