Cooking outdoors connects us to ancient traditions that span cultures worldwide. The sizzle of food over an open flame, the mingling of natural aromas with your meal, and the satisfaction of preparing sustenance in the wilderness create memories that last far longer than any restaurant experience.
Here is a list of 20 remarkable destinations where you can cook your meal using the power of nature itself—from bubbling hot springs to volcanic heat.
Yellowstone National Park, USA
Yellowstone’s hydrothermal features offer a unique cooking experience. The temperatures are perfect for boiling food, and visitors can use designated areas near hot springs to cook everything from eggs to corn on the cob.
The minerals in the water enhance the flavor, adding a distinctive earthy taste you won’t find anywhere else.
Mount Etna, Italy
The active volcano in Sicily provides natural cooking stones heated by underground magma. Locals have built specialized restaurants where chefs help you prepare food using volcanic rocks as grills.
The intense heat sears meat perfectly and locks in flavors that conventional cooking methods simply can’t replicate.
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Rotorua, New Zealand
Māori communities have used hangi to cook in geothermal areas for centuries. Food wrapped in leaves is placed in underground pits naturally heated by hot springs.
The slow-cooking process infuses meat and vegetables with minerals from the earth, creating tender, flavorful meals with minimal effort.
Deception Island, Antarctica
This horseshoe-shaped island houses an active volcano where brave visitors can cook at the water’s edge. The volcanic beach sand reaches temperatures hot enough to fry eggs, and some expedition groups organize special beach cookouts.
Few can claim they’ve prepared breakfast on the shores of the world’s most remote continent.
Furnas Valley, Portugal
The Azores islands feature natural steam vents where locals cook cozido, a traditional Portuguese stew. Chefs place pots into holes in the ground each morning and retrieve them seven hours later.
The earth’s heat slowly cooks the meat and vegetables to perfection, creating a dish that draws visitors worldwide.
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Beppu, Japan
Famous for its ‘jigoku’ or ‘hell’ hot springs, Beppu offers several locations where food is steamed using natural geothermal heat. Restaurants provide baskets of vegetables, eggs, and meat that cook while you relax in nearby hot springs.
The steam imparts a subtle mineral quality that elevates simple ingredients to gourmet status.
Black Rock Desert, USA
During certain events, attendees create temporary stone rings around natural hot spots where the ground temperature reaches cooking levels. The Nevada desert’s geothermal activity provides perfect conditions for slow-cooking stews in cast iron pots.
The mineral-rich soil enhances the food’s distinct desert flavor profile.
El Diablo Restaurant, Spain
Situated on Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, this unique establishment grills food using heat from an active volcano. Chefs place grills over a large pit, and temperatures from the volcano below can reach up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
The volcanic heat gives the food a distinctive charred flavor that is impossible to replicate with conventional methods.
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Blue Lagoon, Iceland
While visiting the famous geothermal spa, travelers can prepare boiled eggs and simple soups in designated cooking spots. The silica-rich waters impart a distinctive mineral quality to food.
Some tour guides demonstrate how Vikings once used similar hot springs for cooking during Iceland’s harsh winters.
Valley of Geysers, Russia
Adventurous hikers can cook in this remote valley using steam vents in the Kamchatka Peninsula. Local guides show travelers how to properly use natural heat sources without damaging the delicate ecosystem.
The geothermal steam imparts a unique flavor to simple camp foods like potatoes and corn.
Whakaari Hot Beach, New Zealand
This coastal area features sand so hot from underground geothermal activity that food can be buried and simmered. Visitors dig shallow pits in the sand, wrap food in foil, and let the earth’s heat do the rest.
The cooking process infuses seafood with a subtle mineral quality, not in conventional preparations.
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Hveragerthi, Iceland
This tow, built on a hot spring area, allows cooking in geothermally heated community areas. Visitors can bake traditional Icelandic rye bread by burying dough in hot ground for 24 hours.
Slow-cooking creates a sweet, dense bread that pairs perfectly with butter and local fish.
Lake Bogoria, Kenya
Natural hot springs along the shores of this alkaline lake provide perfect cooking spots. Local communities have established designated areas where travelers can prepare meals using the earth’s heat.
This method suits tough vegetables and grains that benefit from long, slow cooking times.
Yangmingshan National Park, Taiwan
The fumaroles (steam vents) in this volcanic park outside Taipei provide natural cooking stations. Park authorities have built special platforms where visitors can steam food using the earth’s natural heat.
The sulfur-rich steam adds a distinctive flavor that many visitors find surprisingly pleasant.
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Rakaia Gorge, New Zealand
Hidden hot springs along certain hiking trails provide experienced backcountry campers with natural cooking spots. Alpine guides show visitors how to safely cook simple meals without disturbing the natural environment.
The mineralized water creates exceptionally flavorful mountain teas and soups.
Reykjadalur Hot Spring Thermal River, Iceland
This hot spring river allows hikers to cook while bathing in its gradually warming waters. Specially designed cooking stations prevent environmental contamination while enabling you to prepare simple meals.
You can add the surrounding herbs growing in the geothermal soil to elevate the flavor of your wilderness meal.
Timanfaya National Park, Spain
Another Canary Islands location where restaurants use volcanic heat for cooking demonstrations. Attendants pour water into holes in the ground, creating instant geysers of steam hot enough to cook food.
Simple grills placed over these vents can cook meat and vegetables in minutes.
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Bako National Park, Malaysia
Certain coastal areas feature hot sand cooking spots where seafood can be prepared using ancient techniques. Locals teach visitors how to wrap fish in leaves with spices and bury them in hot sand.
The hours-long cooking process creates tender fish infused with local herbs and minerals.
Frying Pan Lake, New Zealand
Despite its name, you don’t fry food here—the world’s largest hot spring provides perfect conditions for steam cooking. Guided tours allow visitors to cook vegetables and eggs in mesh bags lowered into specific safe zones.
The mineral-rich steam creates vegetables with exceptional flavor and nutritional value.
La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Near Arenal Volcano, restaurants have established cooking areas using volcanic stones heated by the earth. Chefs help visitors prepare traditional Costa Rican dishes using these natural hot plates.
The volcanic minerals enhance flavors, while the outdoor cooking environment adds a sense of adventure to every meal.
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Nature’s Kitchen: Connecting Through Fire and Earth
These geological cooking wonders remind us that humans relied on nature’s power to transform raw ingredients into nourishing meals before microwaves and electric stoves. Each location offers more than just a quirky cooking method—they provide a tangible connection to geological forces and ancestral cooking practices.
As modern dining becomes increasingly convenient and removed from natural processes, these destinations offer a rare chance to participate in one of humanity’s most fundamental activities in its most primal form. The memories of meals prepared using the earth’s heat last far longer than the flavors.
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