Sabancaya is part of a series of volcanoes that line the southwestern coast of Peru at a distance of roughly from the shore. Of these volcanoes, Sabancaya, El Misti, Ubinas, Huaynaputina, Ticsani and Tutupaca have been active during historical time. Further volcanoes in the area with Pliocene-Quaternary activity are Sara Sara, Solimana, Coropuna, Ampato, Chachani, Yucamane, Casiri and Tacora. All these volcanoes are considered part of the Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes, and lie c. east of the Peru-Chile Trench. Notable among them are Ampato and Coropuna for exceeding a height of , Huaynaputina and El Misti for their large eruptions and Ubinas and Sabancaya for their recent activity.