Vilama is part of the Central Volcanic Zone, which together with the Northern Volcanic Zone, Southern Volcanic Zone and Austral Volcanic Zone is one of the four volcanic belts along the Andes. The Central Volcanic Zone is home to more than a thousand volcanoes, of which 44 were active after glacial times. Many of these are part of the main volcanic arc, which consists of stratovolcanoes such as Coropuna, the Nevados de Payachata, Ojos del Salado and Ollagüe and frequently reach heights of above . The Central Volcanic Zone is also the site of a number of large calderas, such as Los Frailes, Kari-Kari, Pastos Grandes, Cerro Panizos, Cerro Guacha, Purico complex, Coranzulí, La Pacana, Aguas Calientes, Negra Muerta volcanic complex, Galán, Wheelwright caldera and Incapillo.