Kournas, Natural freshwater lake in Apokoronas Municipality, Greece.

Kournas is Crete's only natural freshwater lake, lying at the northern foot of the White Mountains about 2.5 km from the sea. It has a pear shape, with a maximum length of 1,087 m and width of 880 m, a surface area of 579 stremmata and a maximum depth of 22.5 m. A dam built in 1962 by the Ministry of Agriculture's Land Reclamation Service controls the outflow at the lake's narrow end.

The lake was recorded in antiquity by Stephanus of Byzantium under the name Koresia. A temple in the area was attributed to Koresia Athena and seems to have been dedicated to Hippos or Kore; these names are linked to the older toponym Hippokorona, later altered to Apokorona. The shift from Koresia to Kournas is placed in the period of Arab rule on Crete, though the name's origin is traced either to an Arabic word for lake or basin or to a corruption of the Greek krounos.

The lake's name changed from Korissia during the Arab rule of Crete; it is traced either to an Arabic word for lake or basin, or to a corruption of the Greek krounos, a spring. Stephanos of Byzantium records the ancient name Koresia, linked to the toponym Ippokorona, later altered to Apokorona, the name of the surrounding municipality.

The lake is best reached by car from Chania. Local infrastructure is well-developed with landing spots and restaurants, making it easy to spend a full day by the water.

The water is fed by an underground spring called Amati, which becomes visible during summer months when water levels drop. This natural process reveals the hidden structure of the ecosystem beneath the surface.