A Wild Mud Volcano Adventure in Azerbaijan!

A Wild Mud Volcano Adventure in Azerbaijan!

December 2024.

*Recently I collaborated with Bag Baku, one of Azerbaijan’s leading tour companies. The project was to experience some of Azerbaijan’s greatest natural, historical and cultural treasures before writing up honest, detailed accounts of my experiences. Thanks to Bag Baku co-founder Sabina Gasimova for the opportunity* 

It was good to be back in the car again, humming through the Gobustan desert. Especially as it gave me the opportunity to defrost after the biting cold of the boardwalk at the Mud Volcanoes Tourism Complex.

Sladja and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the centre. A brand new government owned facility, visitors follow a boardwalk path that loops around a section of desert home to a number of majestic volcanoes. Now though, we were on our way towards a much more… how can I put it… wild mud volcano adventure.

With Emin driving and our guide Rajab coordinating on the phone, we ventured further into the Gobustan desert. “It’s done” said Rajab, turning to look back at us from the front passenger seat. “He will be waiting for us so that we don’t waste any time”. As Sladja and I shared a glance, I couldn’t help but wonder who and what awaited us.

A Wild Mud Volcano Adventure in Azerbaijan!

A short while later we found ourselves cooing at the sigh of an almighty formation in the distance. Clocking our excitement, Emin slowed down so that I could grab a photo. “This is Toragay Mud Volcano!” exclaimed Rajab with pride. “It is the world’s tallest mud volcano at 400 metres!” 

Indeed the volcano made it into the Guinness Book of Records back in 2004. Estimated at between two to five million years old, those who have studied it recorded seven major eruptions between 1841 and 1968.

Since then there have only been minor gurglings, while today it enjoys a protected status as part of Azerbaijan’s Mud Volcanoes State Nature Reserve.

A few minutes later we turned off the highway and onto a gravelly side road. “Almost there” said Rajab, leaning forward to see if he could spot the man who would take over the next leg of our desert escapade.

Seconds later we spotted him, a burly local man dressed in a camouflage hoodie and desert-dusty trousers. Leaving Emin’s car, we exchanged the briefest of pleasantries before our new driver motioned us inside his chariot, a petit, battle-hardened Russian Lada.

Changing Cars.

The Lada was a beaten up old thing. A result, we understood, of having spent decades ferrying curious adventurers like us through remote parts of the Gobustan desert. Putting on a polite smile, Sladja clambered into the back, no doubt wondering why on earth we had agreed to this.

“Don’t worry!” laughed Rajab, as I settled into the front passenger seat, “He’s been doing this for a long time, he knows this route like back of the hand”. Moments later the man himself (who spoke not a word of English), climbed in, fired up the engine, and we were off!

Hiring a Lada taxi for an off-road journey like this has been a rite of passage for visitors to Gobustan since the 1970s. With much curiosity, anticipation, amusement and occasional terror, we’d read various online accounts of people’s experiences doing the same route.

Time and time again, familiar challenges and pitfalls cropped up. The main complaint was about unethical drivers who rushed their passengers around the mud volcanoes, going back on previously agreed waiting times. What’s more, it is standard practice among some drivers to beg and even aggressively insist on tips at the end of the tour.

A Wild Mud Volcano Adventure in Azerbaijan!

Elsewhere, one unfortunate couple revealed how their hired Lada (a car famed for its durability and off-road capabilities) had broken down in the middle of the desert. The sorry situation left them stranded in the burning summer heat in the middle of nowhere until a pickup arrived.

With all these stories in mind, it definitely paid off to arrange the drive through Rajab. Handling the negotiations on our behalf, we agreed on a fee of 40 manat (20 manat per person), which comes to around £19 / €23 / $24.

Moreover, Rajab assured us that Mr. Lada would give us all the time we needed to enjoy the mud volcanoes. And no, we were not expecting any shenanigans at the end of the drive in terms of demanding more money.

For the first fifteen minutes or so he wore a serious expression, his eyes fixed firmly on the road ahead. Each time we passed another Lada he would raise his hand briefly in greeting, accompanied by a solemn nod. I guessed these taxi drivers all knew one another—either as the best of friends or the worst of enemies.

Somewhere in the Gobustan Desert.

But then the road began to deteriorate. It quickly grew narrower, rockier, and increasingly uneven. This, it seemed, was our chauffeur’s cue to speed up! With a mischievous smile he flipped on the stereo, cranked up the volume and hurtled us toward our destination to the pounding rhythm of grinding pop beats. Over it all, an impassioned Azerbaijani male vocal wailed, leaving us reeling in a heady mix of gasoline fumes and musical chaos.

Accelerating into a series of sharp bends, Mr. Driver passionately sang along to the music. He thumped his fist on the dashboard, jigged his shoulders and encouraged me to dance along with him. I duly complied, grateful for the fact that nobody other than he and Sladja were on hand to witness my efforts.

“You got a seatbelt back there?” I called to Sladja, as I fastened my own. “No!” she replied, her voice only faintly coming through the wall of noise as we careered through a rubbly section of road.

Eventually, we arrived at the foot of a low-lying mountain. Just as I wondered if we’d have to get out and walk, our captain slammed his foot on the accelerator. To our disbelief, we were driving straight up the mountain! With the flat desert plain shrinking behind us, the Lada lurched and groaned its way ever upwards. Was it going to make it? We clung to our seats and hoped for the best.

A Wild Mud Volcano Adventure in Azerbaijan!

At the top our host brought his rickety Lada to a halt as Sladja and I breathed a sight of relief. Composing ourselves, we got out of the car and took our first steps into what felt like a lunar landscape.

Indeed the mountaintop stood grey, barren, powdery and cracked; several dozen cone-shaped mud volcanoes scattered before us.

The conditions were pretty hairy as we made our approach, a strong biting wind lashing into our faces. Nevertheless, Sladja managed to scramble up one of the volcanoes for a look.

With the wind buffeting me from every angle, I somehow managed to join her at a cluster of marvellous mud towers. Struggling to stay upright, I snapped just a handful of photographs before nearly losing my footing entirely.

Prior to changing cars that morning Rajab had warned us “don’t get too close to the pools, sometimes they can shoot mud”. While this was undoubtedly good advice, that afternoon the whipping wind ensured that we had no chance whatsoever of keeping a safe distance.

In fact, at some point I realised my entire outfit had been splattered with streaks of murky brown mud. “Oh my god!” Sladja cried, realising that the mud volcanoes had done a job on both of us.

A Wild Mud Volcano Adventure in Azerbaijan!

Unsure how much longer we could stay on our feet, we decided it was time to head back to the car. I quickly snapped one last batch of photos, including a bedraggled selfie, the wind still playing a merry dance around us.

The warmth and safety of the car were only a few minutes away, yet it felt like an eternity. Step by step, we inched our way back, carefully choosing each movement.

In truth, I had a fair bit of trepidation about the final part of our mountaintop adventure. Earlier, Rajab had told us about “a very large mud volcano”—one that dwarfed the others and was positioned some distance from the main group.

“It can be difficult to climb,” he explained. “Not because it’s so tall, but because it’s really steep. Do you want to try to make it up there?“At the time, our decision had been instant and unanimous: “Definitely!”

But now, as we crunched across the rocky mountain top for several minutes, doubt crept in. Before long we reached a small but striking sulphur lake. In summer, when it’s warm enough to take a dip in the large volcano, this is where people come to clean up.

The Sulphur Lake.

From the lake we turned and, after a short while, pulled up in front of papa volcano. “Big vol-can!” our pilot announced, proudly showcasing his best English. Gazing out the window, I grimaced as the wind slammed against the car. Well, it was now or never.

We stepped out of the car and the wind hit us like a wall—absolutely ferocious, much stronger than it had been just ten minutes ago back at the main cluster. Poor Sladja nearly got blown away completely, so quickly moved to grab onto one of the metal poles that circle the volcano.

Having agreed that Sladja should probably stay where she was until I figured out if this climb was even possible, I pressed forward. Honestly, I’m not sure how I made it up there. With my phone filming the ascent in one hand, I took the climb slowly, each step small and deliberate.

When the wind threatened to topple me, I dug my feet into the ground, praying I could hold my position. The last few steps were the hardest, but then… at the top… wow!!!

The volcano is a thing of beauty, its circular pool spitting out dark brown bubbles every five to ten seconds. They inflated slowly, only to collapse inward in an instant. I was mesmerised, anxiously waiting for the next one. The steady rhythm of their rise and fall made it feel as though the mud volcano were a living, breathing creature.

A Wild Mud Volcano Adventure in Azerbaijan!

I simply couldn’t leave without Sladja getting to see it too. So down I went to collect her, the wind once again threatening to put me on my ass. Grabbing her hand, I pulled her back up and together we stood, both in awe of the volcano and its rippling eruptions.

I can’t even begin to describe our state of relief as we drove away. The driver was shaking his head and chuckling to himself, and when I caught a glimpse of myself in the passenger side mirror, I realized why. I looked absolutely disheveled; my face, hair, and clothes splattered with volcanic mud.

Back down the mountain we went and onto the desert road. It had been a wild ride for sure, perhaps a bit wilder than I would’ve liked. But soon we’d be reunited with Rajab and Emin, then heading off to see some of Azerbaijan’s ancient rock art. It had already been a memorable day, and there was still plenty more to come.

*This experience was part of Bag Baku’s private full day tour of the Gobustan Mud Volcanoes, Gobustan petroglyphs, Fire Temple and Burning Mountain*. 

Like this? Check out more of my adventures across Azerbaijan.

I’ve been living, working and traveling all over the world since 2001. So why not check out my huge library of travel reports from over 40 countries.