Things to do at Lake Kournas and Argyroupoli

Lake Kournas, in the Apokoronas region south of Georgioupoli, is Crete's only natural freshwater lake, a small basin ringed by hills with no beach sand and no waves to speak of. Most visitors pair it with Argyroupoli, a village about 20 minutes away built over Roman-era springs and shaded by plane trees, on the same half-day loop by car.

There is no train on Crete and the KTEL coach network really only covers the north-coast route, so a rental car is the practical way to reach this inland corner.

May to October suits a visit; April to June brings greener hills and milder air before the heat of July and August sets in, and paddle-boat hire on the lake runs on a seasonal basis rather than year-round.