Βουλισμένο Αλώνι

Voulismeno Aloni

Useful Information

Location:	14 km west of Heraklion, near Gazi. Follow road PEO 90 to Astiraki, 6.6 km from St. Nichola’s Church Gazi. (35.3300934743821, 25.01806579735044)
Open:	No restrictions. [2026]
Fee:	free. [2026]
Classification:	Doline
Light:	n/a
Dimension:	L=95 m, W=75 m, D=50 m.
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Voulismeno Aloni.
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History

Description

Βουλισμένο Αλώνι (Voulismeno Aloni) is generally translated Sunken Threshing Floor. It is an almost elliptical doline with a diameter between 75 m and 95 m. As it is located at the hillside of Stroumboulas Hill, the wall on the uphill side is up to 50 m high and overhanging, while the downhill side is just a flat hill. It formed by the collapse of a huge cavern below.

The doline is located only 50 m from the small road, which is actually the old Heraklion-Rethymnon highway, and there is a trail into the doline. The flat floor is used by locals and tourists to create patterns with limestone rocks. The walls are ideal for climbing and there are numerous climbing routes of different difficulty, from 4c to 8c.

"Voulismeno Aloni, nestled within the Tylissos Gorge on Crete, is a remarkably preserved Minoan-era threshing floor. Its impressive circular design, dating back to the late Minoan period (ca. 1450-1100 BC), features meticulously crafted stonework. Later used by Romans and Venetians, it offers a tangible link to Crete's rich history. Though partially ruined, Voulismeno Aloni is readily accessible and provides a captivating glimpse into ancient Cretan agriculture and civilization."
Nonsensical AI generated description from Experience Crete (visited: 05-MAR-2026)

While the AI stuff is just a hallucination, that’s actually the scientific term, there is also a local legend about the site. It explains the sinkhole with the wrath of a saint, which is not really very nice of the saint, and one may doubt that such a vindictive and irascible person is a saint. On the other hand, sinkholes are relatively young geotopes and could have formed in historical times, so this could be a retelling of an event that actually took place, without the divine intervention, of course. It also explains the "Threshing Floor" part of the name, which is not simply a measure of the size, but an important part of the legend.

A long time ago, a farmer did not want to interrupt his work because of the feast day of the prophet Elijah. He took his wife and daughter with him and went to this place, which was used as a threshing floor, to thresh grain. ‘On a day like this!’ his wife exclaimed in horror, ‘the saint will burn us!’ ‘The Saints have better things to do,’ replied the man. They set to work, accompanied by their daughter’s singing. But then there was a terrible clap of thunder and the ground collapsed beneath them. Since this time, every year on July 20, you can hear the threshing of grain and the voice of a girl singing her last song in the doline.