Gournes holidays

See the northern coast of Crete with holidays to Gournes. This fairly new resort combines rugged countryside with ancient history and quiet beaches. There's easy access to classic Cretan nightlife in Heraklion, which is just 25 minutes away by car.

Quiet life

Gournes grew from a peaceful traditional Greek village in the 1950s, when a large military communications centre was based here. Nowadays, apartments and guest houses are dotted across the sandy landscape, and the resort centres around the beach and waterfront. There are many local attractions here, such as an aquarium and family-friendly dinosaur park. Nearby tourist spots like the cathedral are within walking distance.

Beaches

There are three roads leading down to the beach, and a promenade with several bars and restaurants. You'll find the rocky shoreline is long and narrow, but interspersed with a number of small sandy bays. Here, you can sunbathe and admire the view of the offshore island of Dia, while local fishermen sit mending their nets.

Activities

Gournes is a good area for walking, hiking, and biking. From the end of the main street you can take sandy paths crisscrossing the local countryside, and within 10 minutes could find yourself at an ancient villa. A cave at Skotino was used in the Bronze Age as a shrine, and it's only 15 minutes’ walk away.

CRETAquarium and the Dinosauria Park are both easy to reach, and the old military base now hosts a Planetarium. These three attractions are all very popular with both local and visiting families as they offer activities for all ages. A 25-minute drive to the west takes you to Crete's capital, Heraklion. It’s full of Greek and Roman history as well as buzzing nightlife and great duty-free shopping.