The magic lake Kournas in Crete
Though, according to one legend, the lake was named after the Hania region’s village Kournas, close to the Rethymno region border, the opposite is also believed to have occurred. The village, according to this latter theory, was named after the lake, from the Arabic word for lake and washbasin. This observation takes us back to the early medieval period, a time when Crete was conquered by the Arabs, who established the island as an emirate between 824 and 961. The lake was well-known from as far back as antiquity and, according to sources, was named Korisia.
The marvelous Kournas Lake is an all-season destination, although you can only swim during the warmer months starting from early Spring to late Autumn. During the winter in Crete, the lake increases in size and the beaches along the shores disappear.