Lake Kournas is the largest natural lake in Crete and is located in a magnificent landscape, between the western slopes of the White Mountains and the fertile plain of Georgioupolis.
Just 10 minutes by car from Mountain View Resort, you can enjoy this magical landscape. It is an ideal place to relax and take a walk around the lake. There are pedal boats where you can explore the lake and see its fauna and flora up close. Cafes and restaurants offer local dishes with a view of the lake.
Lake Kournas and its surroundings constitute a very important ecosystem for Greece, as this corner of the Apokoronas province is one of the few areas of Crete where there is plenty of fresh water throughout the year.
There are two legends about this particular lake. The first one tells of a blonde girl who, several years ago, sought to be saved from the amorous desires of her father, who had been enchanted by her beauty. Then the girl wished for the area to sink and become a lake, saying the following words: "Voula and Voulilimna, and I am a ghost in the lake". Thus her wish came true as the ground shook and sank, thus creating the lake.
The second legend tells of the inhabitants of the area who behaved as if they were not on God's path, and then He became angry and punished them by sending rains that lasted for several days, drowning the village and creating a lake. It is also said that the only one who was saved from this flood was the priest's daughter, who appears as an apparition sitting on a rock in the lake and combing her hair. There is also a local belief that the lake is "apati" and "amatati", meaning it has no bottom, due to the lake's coloring with blue successive circles.
Definitely a place that every visitor to Georgioupolis should not miss!
