Starting your excursion from the west of the city, we suggest you take the highway and head for Kournas Lake and the eponymous village. The natural lake, a rare sight on the island, at the foot of the White Mountains, will amaze you with its peaceful beauty...
Local lore has created moonstruck persons , fairies and ghosts around this lake, things thdt today seem charming and quaint. You can enjoy a meal in the picturesque tavemas built around the lake, and relax with the magic of nature. Admire your surroundings, the reed thickets, wicker trees and myrtle bushes,
the birds searching for food in the lake's fresh water, or have a swim, if you're not awed by the unusual feeling of swimming in fresh water... Very nearthe lake, on the way to Koumas, you will encounter Kournas cave, with a panoramic view at an altitude of about 150 metres. Stalactites and stalagmites decorate the cave's interior.
Proceed a little further north and you will find Kournas village, built at an altitude of 200 metres, endowed by time with a glorious history, from 1583 when it was a"kefalochon" (leading village), to 1866, when it became the seat of the revolutionary government of Greece. The following year, the rebels fought, won and persecuted Omer Pasha in Patima near Kournas.
Later, in 1897, Kournas became the seat of the General Assembly of Cretans.
In the village you will find a 14th century church, dedicated to Agia (Saint) Irene, with wallpaintings that, unfortunately, have not withstood the test of time.
You can enjoy tasty home-cooked food and lovely salads in the village tavemas, and order a delicious "galaktoboureko" cream pie for dessert.