Most of our guests asked me if Crete has a lake.
And I am so glad to reply positively
Lake Kournas, the only freshwater lake in Crete, is in a hollow between hills, 4km from Georgioupolis, between Rethymno and Chania Towns.
It is in the Apokoronas municipality of Chania regional unit close to the border with Rethymno regional unit, 47 km from the town of Chania.
Kournas is a fairly large village perched on a hill overlooking the lake.
The lake is fed by the Amati spring, which in summer “emerges” above the water's surface and in winter is lost in the water.
It is essentially a large pit that fills with water thanks to the differentiation of its soil that allows the passage of water.
Between the high mountains surrounding it and the golden-green olive groves, the dark blue-green “touch” of the lake and the area around it are an important ecosystem protected by its inclusion in the Natura 2000 network.
Crete's only freshwater lake, Lake Kournas, is relatively large, with a perimeter of 3.5 km. There is a nature preserve on the Southwest side of the lake. There is a rustic road from the North of the lake to the Hills on the West of the lake.
In the lake, which is an important wetland, there are ospreys and ducks, eels, water snakes, and a rare species of two-colored turtle, which has spots on its shell, whose scientific name is terrapin.
Don't miss visiting Kournas Lake during your next visit to Crete!
Warmly
Yiannis
