Kournas

Kournas is the name of a village and nearby lake on the island of Crete, Greece. It is in the Apokoronas region of Chania Prefecture close to the border with Rethymno Prefecture, 47 km from the town of Chania.

Kournas is a fairly large village perched on a hill overlooking the lake. It is in the Georgioupoli municipality, not far from the town of the same name. A working village which has seen less depopulation than some of its neighbours, Kournas is known for its pottery and its popular taverna, Kali Kardia. The taverna's seats are largely in the road - it is popular for its specialities of 'kokoretsi' (grilled offal) and 'galaktoboureko' (custard and orange tart).

Crete's only freshwater lake, Lake Kournas, is relatively large, with a perimeter of 3.5 km. The lake used to be called 'Korisia' after ancient 'Korion', a city thought to be in the area with a temple to Athena. The lake used to be reportedly full of eels but now is better known for its terrapins and tourists. Tavernas and pedalo rental shops line part of the shore. Overall, however, the lake retains its beauty, the White Mountains reflected in the mirror-like waters.