Gournes Pediados

Gournes is 15 kilometres east of Heraklion. As you continue east along the old road from Heraklion to Kokkini Hani, the adjoining village is Gournes, which is quite small in comparison, and limited in its facilities.
The name Gournes comes from "gourna" meaning “basin”, and it is thought that there were many watering-places in the area at one time. The evidence still exists, as a "river" basin still runs through the centre of town. In the summer months, however, it is quite dry, but in the winter rainy season, and during the spring thaw, water rushes through here from the surrounding mountains to the sea below.