The crater is approx 300 metres in diameter, with sheer ‘limestone chalk like’ side walls about 50 metres in height.
A carpark behind the kiosk accommodates the steady stream of tourist bus’s that make their way up to the centre of the island (and into the Caldera) from Mandraki. During my two hour stay I counted eight bus’s each with about thirty tourists. (photo) The kiosk was doing a roaring trade with a lot of sightseers more interested in their stomachs, than the amazing wonder of nature close by. Others were complaining about the lack of wifi !
It was now early afternoon and a very hot day with the temperature well above thirty degrees. There was little wind and the strong smell of the sulphur gas from the fumarole holes on the creator floor was very noticeable. Was this a safe healthy place to be, I heard an American tourist ask himself. I was having the same thoughts !
Having regained my composure and strength after the hike down from Nikea village onto the Caldera floor, I was now trying to summon the courage to take the final plunge. The 100 metre walk down the winding track onto the active volcanic floor of the Stephanos Volcano would take about fifteen minutes and could be dangerous. I noticed a slow steady stream of the tourists making the trek … and so I followed.
The sign at the entrance said “Danger – enter at your own risk” … or words to that effect. I had come this far and felt the perverse need to press on. After all – isn’t this what great explorers do ! The smell of sulphur gas was stronger the closer I got to the epicentre.
Ground Zero was now immediately in front of me, at the very bottom of the volcanic crater. It is a square area with sides of approx 30 metres, neatly fenced off with a low height rope. The larva floor inside the protective fence was black and moist. Several fumaroles were just a metre inside the rope and emitting a low hissing noise from the sulphur gas release. It was now a very strong odour … and I concluded definitely not a healthy place to linger for too long.
And so it was done … mission accomplished, or so I thought ! Back now up and out of the crater for another refreshing drink at the kiosk. The tourist buses were still coming and going. Interestingly though I estimated that only about ten percent of them ventured down into the active crater. Most were just voyeurs who just liked to watch. I now felt proud however that I had overcome my fears … and broken out of my comfort zone, if only for about fifteen minutes !
I brief chat with Mr Kiosk reassured me that the long trek back up to the village should only take about an hour. ‘Make sure you stay on the goats track and follow the red dots’ he said … creating some consternation in my mind. It was now mid afternoon on an extremely hot day with temperatures in the mid 30’s.
It has been an unusually hot summer in Greece and the rest of Europe, Global warming is offered as the reason. There have been stories of half a dozen tourists who have gone missing and died, while out hiking on Greek islands in the heat of the day. Dr Moseley was a well known English TV personality who had perished just a month before on the island of Symi … in similar circumstances.
