32 Abandoned Cities That Are Slowly Being Reclaimed by Nature

13. San Juan Parangaricutiro, Mexico – The Church in the Lava

In 1943, the earth split open in western Mexico, unleashing a force that would forever alter the landscape. The Parícutin volcano—one of the world’s youngest volcanoes—erupted without warning, burying the village of San Juan Parangaricutiro under a relentless flow of molten lava. For nearly a decade, the eruption reshaped the region, consuming homes, farmlands, and roads. The villagers were forced to flee, leaving behind everything they knew. By the time the lava cooled, the town had vanished beneath a hardened black sea of volcanic rock. Yet, in an eerie defiance of destruction, one structure endured—the ruins of San Juan Parangaricutiro’s church. Today, its steeple and parts of its stone walls rise hauntingly from the hardened lava, an almost supernatural sight against the backdrop of the desolate landscape. Pilgrims and travelers hike across the jagged volcanic fields to witness the ruins, where moss, lichen, and small plants have slowly begun to reclaim the area.