Mount Apo is a large stratovolcano located on the island of Mindanao in the province of Cotabato. The peak is located 40 kilometers from Davao City. Apo has a flat summit with three peaks, on which there is a 500-meter-wide crater with a small volcanic lake. There are solfataras (fumes of volatile components of magma), which usually accompany dormant and extinct volcanoes.
The peak was first summited on October 10, 1880, by Joaquin Rajal. Today, Apo is one of the more popular and easier mountain climbing destinations in the Philippines. The date of its last eruption is unknown.
In 1936, the peak was protected and became a national park. It is home to more than 270 species of birds, nearly a hundred of which are endemic. Apo is the endemic center of Mindanao Island. It is characterized by high biodiversity per unit area.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has declared Apo Volcano a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
