Kournas Lake – Apokoronas

L'unico lago d'acqua dolce dell'isola di Creta, Lago Kournassi trova al margine nord della Montagne Bianche, a soli 4 km da Georgioupolis, ai confini di Apokoronas. The name – Kournas – probably comes from the Arab word for lake/tub – or perhaps the word for a tap. In the past, it was called Korisia. Alcuni ritengono che qui ci fosse un tempio per Atena Korisias. The lake creates a fascinating environment, which constantly changes with the seasons. In winter the water level rises and the lake grows, in summer it falls, revealing sandy shores and the spring that feeds it – the Amati.

I colori scuri al centro del lago sono il risultato della crescita delle alghe. Per qualche motivo in passato l'opinione pubblica ha dichiarato che il lago è artificiale, ma non è così. L'ecosistema del lago e il Fiume Delphina (che porta l'acqua del lago a nord verso il mare di Creta) sono tra i più importanti dell'isola e della Grecia. Giustamente la località è stata inserita nel Rete Natura 2000. It is a stopping place for migratory birds and a spot where one meets many species endemic to the island, and the East Mediterranean. Eels and their young, amphibians and reptiles – like the Emydi (Malaclemys terrapin) with its spotted shell, and many birds – ducks, moorhens, cormorants, even herons: all live here.

And so do nymphs! Or so the story goes. A girl was thought to appear on moonlight nights, combing her blond hair. Some say that she wishes to escape the lustful attentions of her father, and asked the spirits to turn her into a lake. Another version makes her the daughter of the priest of a village that once stood there – the only survivor of the flood sent by God to drown the wicked inhabitants. The modern counterpoint of such legends, and a more ‘scientific’ opinion for those who wish to explain such phenomena, speaks of electromagnetic fields present in the area.

Che si tratti di nuotare in estate, di passeggiare sulle sue rive, di navigare in barca o di fare un picnic, Lago Kournas is a destination that can combine many activities – including lunch or coffee in the tavernas on the banks that overlook the turquoise waters.