Explore Crete island

Kournas - Crete, GREECE

Situated 45 kilometers far from Chania, at the Southeast, Kournas is a village with 500 permanent residents. The village has been built amphitheatrically, at the eastern foot of Lefka Ori (White Mountains) and it has a marvelous view to the homonymous lake, the bigger natural lake on Crete island.
Once at the area, the lake is worth a visit for the unique flora and fauna and the marvelous landscape. Swimming in the lake is allowed, and small boats can take you for a tour.
A few taverns with delicious dishes including fish from the lake are available. About 2 kilometers at the south of Kournas lake and before arriving to the village, it is found the cave of Kournas and some 10 kilometers always at the south, by the village Kastellos there is the marvelous oak wood, a magnificent landscape with rich shade, very suitable for relaxing from the heat of summer. Three local feasts (“panighyri”) take place on the 29 th of August in honor of St. John, on the 5 th of May in honor of Agia Irene and on the 6 th of August dedicated to Jesus Christ’s Transfiguration (Village Patima). Accommodation facilities are not available at Kournas village, apart from the taverns at the lake, a few cafes & restaurants, most of them with excellent local cuisine and fascinating view, are available in the village of Kournas, very suitable for eating in winter, when the weather does not allow eating at the banks of Kournas lake.

The Myth of Lake Kournas
Now, within the sinful village of Kournas, the prettiest dame of all was the daughter of the priest and the last remaining virgin in the region. The sinfullness amongst the families was taking over their daily lives, until one day God decided enough was enough. He sent torrential rains to flood the valley around Kournas to free the area of Kournas of this sinning. The purity of the priests daughter saved her soul. Her soul was released to take care of the wildlife in an around the shores of lake Kournas.
The Kournas myth continues to hold the belief that every night at midnight, she raises up from the waters of the only fresh water lake on Crete, with her long hair flowing over her body to feed the goldfish, which obviously must also be raising out of the water, perhaps the heat of the sun has something to do with all this? To keep the area around Lake Kournas Chania pure of sins today, it has been decided that no motorised transport be allowed to traverse the lake. The Lady of Kournas lake must not be contaminated. So now when you visit this beautiful area near Chania on Crete, you can see strange looking pedaloes crossing in every direction, looking for the leaping goldfish and the sleeping beauty who only comes out at midnight, very few people have actually reported seeing  them, only to be later arrested for hallucinating