Tourism in Chile del Salado, the highest active volcano in the world at 6,891.3 meters tall and the highest peak in Chile. It is also the second highest peak in the Southern and Western hemispheres. Apart from Ojos del Salado and other volcanoes, attractions in this portion of the Andes include Nevado Tres Cruces National Park and Laguna Verde. Norte Chico boasts some of the best beaches and exclusive coastal resorts in the country, such as Bahía Inglesa and those of La Serena, and Coquimbo. These also see an increase in national tourism during the summer months. The clear skies of Norte Chico
Ojos del Salado of fumaroles high on the mountain and recent-looking lava flows, albeit of uncertain age, also argues in favor of a categorization as "active." By these definitions, Ojos del Salado is the highest historically active volcano on Earth. If the older date is accepted, the title of "highest historically active volcano" might reside instead with the somewhat lower Llullaillaco volcano, which certainly has erupted in historic times (most recently in 1877) and is considered active. Salado's rock is predominantly potassium-rich dacite and rhyodacite. Its lavas are high in biotite, hornblende, plagioclase, and opaques, with lower levels of augite, quartz, and hypersthene.