Things To Do in Gournes

Nightlife in Gournes is all about soaking up the friendly atmosphere in the local tavernas, where a selection of meze goes down great with a Cretan digestif like raki. For louder, livelier nights, there is Hersonissos – 20 minutes’ drive away – with its Irish pubs and techno clubs along the main street. Even livelier Malia, with its foam parties, fire-jugglers and killer cocktails, is a further 10 minutes eastbound.

Gournes’ mini-markets stock locally produced honey, herbs and wine. For designer gear, jewellery and shoes, hop on the bus to Heraklion. There’s also a market here. Located on 1866 Street in the centre of the town, you’ll find fruit and vegetable sellers competing for your attention with souvenir and clothes stalls. It’s hot, hectic and colourful, but there are plenty of refreshment stalls serving beer and soft drinks.

The main church of Gournes is the focus of the colourful Easter celebrations. At midnight on Big Saturday – Holy Saturday – the priest proclaims that Christ has risen, then a Judas doll is burned and the sky explodes with fireworks. The villagers then wind their way home carrying lit candles. As for Easter Sunday, that’s reserved for Cretan music and feasting on spit-roast lamb and wine.

This large, modern aquarium in Gournes plays host to over 200 species of Mediterranean marine life. You can get up close to sharks, turtles, octopus, starfish and sea horses, while English audio guides and computer animations give you a fascinating insight into what’s going on under the seas around Crete. The aquarium is open daily, all year round.

The coastline here undulates between rocks, deep-gold sand and the odd strip of shingle. At the far western end of the prom, in front of Hotel Xenia, you’ll find the softest stretch of sand. There’s a string of beach bars spilling onto the beach, dispensing drinks to a line-up of sunloungers. Pedalos and banana boats keep things active off-shore.

The promenade is lined with restaurants and tavernas serving traditional and tourist-friendly dishes. Tuck into a plate of meze – lots of little dishes like halloumi, deep-fried fish, stuffed vine leaves, olives, and keftedes – Cretan meatballs. Some places have their terraces on a boardwalk along the beach, so you can sink a few post-meal rakis at the water’s edge.

This friendly seafront taverna does well-cooked traditional dishes at reasonable prices. You can tuck into fresh fish, succulent chicken souvlaki or the special pork casserole at an al fresco table, right by the water’s edge. Hosts Nikos and Maria rustle up a mean cocktail, too.