Lake Kournas is the only natural freshwater lake on Crete, lying at the foot of the White Mountains about 25 minutes east of Rethymno and a couple of kilometres inland from Georgioupoli. It is free to visit and free to swim in; the shallow sandy edge makes it safe for children, pedal boats are rented by the hour, and bi-coloured terrapins bask on the rocks around the shoreline. The water changes colour through the day as the level drops over the summer, and tavernas along the near shore look straight out over the basin. It is a half-day at most, and is usually paired with the springs at Argyroupoli.
At a glance
- Entrance fee
- Free; parking is charged separately
- Drive from Rethymno
- About 25 minutes
- Swimming
- Allowed, from a shallow sandy shore
- Distinction
- The only natural freshwater lake in Crete
- Open season
- Year-round; the water level drops through the summer
- Wildlife
- Bi-coloured terrapins, eels and water birds, in a Natura 2000 protected area
Why it is unusual
Crete has plenty of springs, rivers and reservoirs, and exactly one natural freshwater lake. Kournas sits in a closed basin fed by underground springs, ringed by hills of olive groves and forest, with the White Mountains behind. The water level falls through the summer, which is why the shoreline in September looks nothing like the shoreline in May, and why the colour shifts from deep green-blue to turquoise as the season goes on.
Swimming and boats
The near shore is sand and shallow for a long way out, which makes it one of the easiest places in Crete to swim with small children. Pedal boats are rented on the beach, and taking one to the far side is the only way to reach the quiet end of the lake, where the springs surface and the terrapins are easiest to see. The far shore has no facilities and no road.
Wildlife
The lake is a protected ecosystem within the Natura 2000 network. The animals visitors actually notice are the bi-coloured terrapins, which sunbathe on rocks at the edges and are entirely used to people, along with eels, water birds and, in spring, a great deal of birdlife passing through.
Practicalities
Entry is free. There is a paid car park above the lake and a short walk down to the water. Tavernas and cafes line the near shore. It is busiest from late morning to mid-afternoon in July and August; early morning is quiet, cooler and better for photographs.
Combining it
Argyroupoli is fifteen minutes away and works as the second half of the day: a village built on the ruins of ancient Lappa, with waterfalls running through old stone mills under plane trees. Both stops are shaded and neither involves real walking, which makes the pair a good hot-weather option.
Good to know
Can you swim in Lake Kournas?+
Yes. The near shore shelves gently from sand and the water is clear and warm in summer, which makes it one of the better swims in Crete for young children.
Is there an entrance fee for Lake Kournas?+
No. The lake is free to visit. You pay only for parking, and for a pedal boat or sunbed if you want one.
Will you see the turtles?+
Usually. The bi-coloured terrapins bask on the rocks along the edges, and a pedal boat to the quieter side of the lake is the reliable way to find them.
How long should you spend there?+
Two to three hours covers a swim, a boat and lunch. It is a half-day destination, normally combined with Argyroupoli.
When is the best time to go?+
Early morning or late afternoon in July and August, when the car park is not full and the light is better. Spring gives the highest water level and the greenest surroundings.
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Read more about Lake Kournas
- Is Rethymno Worth Visiting?Yes. Rethymno is worth visiting, and the specific reason is that it is the only city in Crete that gives you three things at once: an intact Venetian and Ottoman old town you can walk end to end in fifteen minutes, a long sandy beach that starts where the old harbour ends, and a position halfway along the island that puts Knossos, Samaria, Elafonisi, Spinalonga, Preveli and the White Mountains all within a day's drive of the same hotel. It is smaller and quieter than Chania, cheaper than either Chania or Heraklion, and - because the University of Crete's humanities campus is here - it stays a working city out of season rather than closing down. The case against it is that it has no airport, its beachfront hotel strip is generic, and its old town is noisy in August.
- 12 Best Day Trips from RethymnoRethymno is the best day-trip base in Crete because it sits in the middle of the north coast. Within 45 minutes you can reach Lake Kournas and the Argyroupoli springs, the pottery village of Margarites with Arkadi Monastery, and the south coast at Preveli and Triopetra. Within 90 minutes you reach Imbros Gorge and Knossos with the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. Beyond that, at two hours or a little more, lie Aradaina Gorge, the Samaria trailhead at Omalos, the 2,453 m summit of Pachnes, and the pink lagoon at Elafonisi. Every one of the twelve below is a return trip in a single day.
- 20 Beautiful Villages in CreteThe twenty villages worth driving to in Crete run from Maroulas, fifteen minutes from Rethymno with its Venetian tower houses, to Mochlos on the north-east coast two and a half hours away. The essential cluster sits within 45 minutes of Rethymno: Margarites for pottery, Argyroupoli for its springs, Spili for the 25-spout lion fountain, and Anogeia at 740 m for lyra music and shepherd culture. Further afield lie Archanes in the Heraklion wine country, Zaros beneath Psiloritis, Kritsa above Agios Nikolaos for weaving and the Panagia Kera frescoes, the chestnut village of Elos, and Loutro in Sfakia, which has no road in or out at all.
- Where to Stay in Crete: Six Regions ComparedFor a first visit, Rethymno is the best all-round base in Crete: it sits halfway along the north coast, roughly an hour from both airports, 75 minutes from Knossos and 40 minutes from the south coast, with a Venetian old town and the island's best eating. Choose Chania and the west instead if beaches and gorges are the point, Almyrida or Georgioupolis for young children, Hersonissos or Malia for nightlife, Elounda for luxury and Spinalonga, and Plakias on the south coast for quiet and shelter from the summer meltemi. The deciding factor is always driving time, not the hotel.
