Ifestia festival in Santorini celebrates the volcano
The volcano of Santorini is one of its most important landmarks. It is dormant but active and has brought the island to the form it is today. The volcano is celebrated on the island and Esperas Hotel offers you some information regarding these festivities.
The Island and the Volcano
The island of Santorini is like Phoenix, the mythical bird, that it has been reborn from its ashes one too many times. Due to a variety of calamities that stroke the island over the centuries, Santorini has suffered geologically, financially and socially. However, it managed to stand back on its feet and maintain the height it deserves, each and every time. Some of the most important destructions the island has faced came from the various volcano eruptions, with the last taking place in the 1950s. Two million years of volcanic activity have formulated the ocean floor and the island itself. That is two million years that you see in front of you when you reach the island. What was once one whole island is now separated in fragments and even new volcanic islands have been created. All these wonders of nature are right under your feet and in front of your eyes.
Santorini Volcano History from Nikos Korakakis on Vimeo.
The Festival
No matter the damages, the island has such a strong and positive vibe that it celebrates these natural wonders. It has managed to transform the negative impact of the volcano into a positive one. Everybody recognises that Santorini would not be what it is today if it weren’t for the volcano. So the island shows its gratitude by organising a festival to honour exactly that. This impressive festival is taking place once a year in Santorini, it’s called “Ifaisteia” (which means Volcanoes). The festival lasts a few days and consists of concerts, photography, art exhibitions as well as dance performances. The culminating moment of the festival is the last day when a representation of the volcanic eruptions is taking place. It is a breathtaking and majestic apocalypse of a series of fireworks, that imitate the lava and fire the volcano spit in every eruption. This lasts several minutes and you can see a variety of fireworks. You are left with a feeling of amazement and awe, you can almost feel the warm lava coming out of the volcano, it is an unforgettable moment. Visit the island and its raw natural beauty. Do not miss the “Ifaisteia” event which is taking place usually in August or September of every year.
Ifaisteia 2017
This year the Ifestia fire show will take take place on the 16th of September 2017 at 20:30
After the show famous artist Fotini Darra will perform.