“Red South” festival

“Red South” (Darom Adom) festival

 The Red South Festival, known in Hebrew as Darom Adom, is a beloved annual event that has been running for 15 years in the northwest Negev desert of Israel. Between January and mid-February, visitors come to celebrate the spectacular bloom of the iconic red anemone flower that transforms the desert into a breathtaking sea of color. During the Darom Adom festival, you’ll find plenty to do — from self-guided nature walks and scenic hiking trails, to bustling farmers’ markets filled with local produce and crafts, charming Zimmer guesthouses, and guided cycling tours through wide-open landscapes.

The highlight of the Red South experience is timing your visit to catch the peak bloom, which usually occurs in early February. Come too late, around March, and the area will be lush with green wheat fields instead of the famous red anemones. We personally explored the highlands of Kibbutz Ruhama, called “Bitronot Ruhmama reserve,” at the end of February, and it was simply intoxicating — fresh air, wild nature, and endless fields of red flowers in full glory.

Red South at Bitronot Ruhama reserve

Betronot Ruhama reserve sits about 40 minutes south of Tel Aviv via Route 6. The walking trails here, like all the best things in life, are totally FREE. Just pack plenty of water, a hat, and good walking shoes — trust us, you’ll need them. Prices vary if you join specific guided activities.

Back in the day, when “Corona” only meant a Mexican beer, there were loads of tasty places to eat around here, like Druze pita stuffed with warm goat cheese fresh off a simple taboon oven. Life was slowly getting back on track after the pandemic, but then came the terrible October 7th massacre, which shut everything down again and left the area in shock.

Today, there’s a cautious hope that this peaceful, colorful region will bloom and welcome visitors again soon. Until then, nature keeps doing its thing, and the anemones will still paint the fields every winter, waiting patiently for everyone to return.

The 7th of October

On Saturday morning, October 7th, 2023, at 06:29, we all awoke to horrifying sirens as thousands of short- and long-range missiles were fired across the country, mainly targeting the south. For hours, a brutal massacre of civilians took place in the Israeli kibbutzim near the Gaza Strip. Hamas-led terrorist groups launched a surprise attack on Israel, murdering 1,195 Israelis and foreign nationals — including 815 civilians — and taking 251 people hostage. Around half of the victims and hostages were seized at the Nova music festival near Re’im, which drew thousands of young people. Residents were massacred in the communities of Nir Oz, Holit, Be’eri, Nahal Oz, Ein Hashlosha, Netiv Ha’asara, Kfar Aza, Nir Yitzhak, Nirim, and Kissufim, with many abducted by the terrorists. After clearing its territory of terrorist, Israel began an air campaign and invaded Gaza on October 27th, aiming to destroy Hamas and rescue the hostages. All these kibbutzim, villages, and cities are part of Israel’s southwestern region, home to the “Red South” festival.

For us, “Red South” isn’t just flowers anymore. It marks the second Holocaust of modern Israel, where Jewish blood was spilled across the western Negev far deeper than roots ever ran.