The "Voulismeno Aloni" in Crete refers to a depression, but it's not an actual threshing floor. Instead, it's a fully circular sinkhole in the shape of a crater located near the old national road from Heraklion to Rethymno, within the Tripolitza limestone formations.
This depression formed within the carbonate rocks of the Tripolitza unit and is part of a broader underground network connected to the Almiros Spring. Continuous karstic erosion weakened the cave's roof, causing it to collapse under its weight and form the sinkhole.
The geosite description is a result of the deliverable of the research project Joint Innovative Activities for Outdoor Tourism-JoinOut. The project entitled "Partnership of Innovative Rural Tourism Actions" and distinctive title: "JoInOuT", is implemented within the framework of the Action "Cooperative Innovation Formations/SCC" - 2nd Call: Businesses" and is financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and by National Resources in the context of the Operational Program "Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation (EPANEK)" of the NSRF 2014-2020" (Project code: ΓΓ2CL-0359457).
