The ancient olive tree of Vouves belongs to the local variety known as tsounati and has been grafted at a height of three meters onto a wild olive tree. Its massive trunk, with a circumference of 12.5 meters and a diameter of 4.6 meters, resembles an intricate natural structure, but what makes it even more intriguing is that this natural "sculpture" is constantly changing.
The exact age of the olive tree of Vouves cannot be determined, as the central part of its trunk rotted away centuries ago. This is part of its remarkable self-renewal process. As the heart of the tree degrades over time, new wood forms on the outside, causing the shape and dimensions of the trunk to change even after thousands of years.
Analysis of tree rings has shown that the tree is at least 2,000 years old, while scientists from the University of Crete estimate it could be around 4,000 years old. However, there is no fully accurate scientific method for determining the age of olive trees, so it is not known for certain how old the Vouves tree truly is, but it is considered the oldest olive tree in the world.
Every year, this extraordinary tree attracts around 20,000 visitors to western Crete and has been declared a protected natural monument.
For comparison, the oldest olive tree in the world is older than the Parthenon, another cultural symbol of Greece, and likely predates historical figures such as Alexander the Great and Pythagoras. Its wrinkled trunk stands as a testament to remarkable resilience, having endured droughts, fires, and human impact, yet continuing to bear fruit to this day.