Day trip
Lake Kournas from Georgioupoli.
Photo: Nadiia Astakhova / Pexels
Quick facts
- Region
- Rethymno
- Start town
- Georgioupoli
- Typical duration
- 3–5 hours
- Type
- Day trip
Lake Kournas is Crete’s only freshwater lake, in the hills a short drive above Georgioupoli. Pedalos and a path around part of the shore are the visit. It is cooler than the beach and still busy in August. The lake is not a hike and not a beach. It fills a half-day between Rethymno and Chania when you want something that is not the sea.
Drive inland from Georgioupoli. The lake is signed. Parking is at the near shore. A tour from Rethymno should not pretend this replaces a gorge.
It suits families and a hot afternoon. It is a thin stop if you stay ten minutes in the car park and leave. Walk, or rent a pedal boat, or do not bother.
Lake Kournas from Georgioupoli needs 3–5 hours from Georgioupoli. The months that usually work are April to October. The road or the boat is part of the day, not a preface you can ignore. Carry water and shade for the hours away from Georgioupoli, and do not book a sunset table at home until you know the return. Lake Kournas from Georgioupoli is one day from Georgioupoli. A beach, gorge or monastery with a similar photograph is a different outing when the route changes.
Is it worth it
Lake Kournas from Georgioupoli is worth the hours from Georgioupoli when it suits families and a hot afternoon. Pedalos and a path around part of the shore are the visit. If that is the part your group will fight, leave it for another date.
What to bring
- Water and a hat, because Lake Kournas is Crete’s only freshwater lake, in the hills
- Shoes that match the ground on Lake Kournas from Georgioupoli. Drive inland from Georgioupoli. The lake is signed.
- A layer for the start in Georgioupoli. April to October still has cool mornings and wind.
- The return hour written down. Lake Kournas from Georgioupoli takes 3–5 hours, and a second plan the same day is how you miss it.
Tips
- April to October is the window to trust for Lake Kournas from Georgioupoli. Outside it, ask whether the day is even running.
- Leave Georgioupoli with 3–5 hours clear. Drive inland from Georgioupoli. The lake is signed. Parking is at the
- Search “Lake Kournas tour Crete” and check that the meeting point really is Georgioupoli.
Related tours
- Family
Georgioupoli beach and river
Georgioupoli3–4 hours
Georgioupoli is the north-coast resort where a small river meets a long sandy beach, between Rethymno and Chania. A day here is a swim, a walk to the chapel islet when the water is low enough, and a lunch. It is an easy family beach. It is not a wild cove, and the main road is close enough that you should not expect silence. The usual length is 3–4 hours, and the months that usually work are May to October. It suits families and a rest day between bigger excursions. Skip it if you wanted a boat to a car-free village. This is a resort beach with a proper sand strip. The town is on the national road. You can stay there or stop for a few hours between the two cities. The chapel is a short walk from the river mouth in calm weather.
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HistoryArkadi monastery from Rethymno
Rethymno3–5 hours
Arkadi is the monastery in the hills southeast of Rethymno, remembered for the 1866 siege. The building is the visit: courtyard, church, and a small museum. It is not a hike, though the road is inland and cooler than the beach. Combining it with a south-coast gorge makes a rushed day. The monastery deserves an unhurried hour and the drive back. The usual length is 3–5 hours, and the months that usually work are Year round, mornings are quieter. It suits anyone interested in the island’s modern history. Shoulders should be covered. Skip it as a photo stop on the way to Preveli if you will not get out of the car for long. Drive inland from Rethymno, about half an hour, or join a tour that is honest about the return time. The site is signed from the town.
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Horse riding on Georgioupoli beach
Georgioupoli1–2 hours
Georgioupoli is one of the places in Crete where a guided horse ride uses the long beach rather than a farm track. The ride is short, the sand is firm at the waterline, and the morning is kinder than noon. You will not cover the coast. You will be on a horse by the sea for a supervised hour. The usual length is 1–2 hours, and the months that usually work are April to October. It suits beginners who want the beach version of a ride. Skip it at midday in August, and skip it if the stable cannot provide a helmet in your size. The beach is in Georgioupoli itself. Stables meet riders at the sand or a yard just behind it. Closed shoes are wiser than flip-flops even on a beach ride.
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FAQ
Questions.
- Plan on 3–5 hours from Georgioupoli. It suits families and a hot afternoon.
- April to October. Outside those months the day is often closed, cancelled, or a different trip. Ask the day before you leave Georgioupoli.
- Drive inland from Georgioupoli. The lake is signed. Parking is at the near shore. A tour from Rethymno should not pretend this replaces a gorge.
- It suits families and a hot afternoon. It is a thin stop if you stay ten minutes in the car park and leave. Walk, or rent a pedal boat, or do not bother.
- Lake Kournas from Georgioupoli is worth the hours from Georgioupoli when it suits families and a hot afternoon. Pedalos and a path around part of the shore are the visit. If that is the part your group will fight, leave it for another date.