Lake Kournas: Pedal Boat Rental With Transfer
This trip books you an hour on a pedalo at Lake Kournas and drives you there and back. Lake Kournas is the only freshwater lake in Crete, held in a bowl of rocky hills between Georgioupolis and the mountains, and the water shifts through blue and green depending on the light and the season. Allcretetours runs it over 4 hours from €120, and it holds a 3.67 rating across 24 reviews, the lowest score of anything we list.
What this trip actually does
The package is transport plus a pre-booked pedalo, and the rest of the time is yours. Three parts make it up.
First is the hotel pick-up and the drive to the lake. Second is the pedalo, booked and paid for in advance, for 60 minutes on the water, long enough to cross to the far shore where the springs feed the lake and the water runs cold. Third is roughly four hours of free time at the lakeside, which covers walking the shore, swimming, and eating at one of the tavernas above the water.
Terrapins live in the lake and are the thing children look for, though how many surface depends on how many boats are out.
Places this tour visits
The day is spent at one lake inland from the north coast.
- Lake Kournas, the whole trip is at Lake Kournas, the island’s only freshwater lake, roughly 4 kilometres inland from Georgioupolis.
What’s included and what isn’t
The price covers the transfer and one hour on the water.
Included:
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Pedal boat rental for 60 minutes
Nothing else is included, so food, drinks and any extra pedalo time are yours to pay for.
Why we recommend this experience
We recommend Lake Kournas itself without reservation and this particular package with real caution, and the two need separating.
The lake is worth the trip. It is the only freshwater swim in Crete, the setting is genuinely unusual, rock walls, green vegetation, no sea in sight, and reviewers who got there early describe it as magical. A Belgian guest arriving at 08:45 for the 09:00 pedalo opening found almost nobody there. A Swiss reviewer said the same about an early arrival. That early-morning window is the whole experience at its best.
When the transfer works, reviewers praise it warmly: helpful communication, punctual drivers, spot-on transport all appear in the five-star reviews.
Now the reasons this scores 3.67, which are worth reading before you book.
Value for money scores 3.1 out of 5 and transport 3.2, and both are low enough to take seriously. At €120 you are getting a transfer and 60 minutes of pedalo. A British reviewer put it plainly: a bit pricey for what you get, though still a lovely day. A Danish reviewer regretted not buying a second hour.
The transfer is the real risk. One American guest rating the trip two stars reported being forgotten at pick-up and collected an hour and a half late, with problems again at the end of the day. That is a single account, but transport scoring 3.2 across 24 reviews suggests it is not isolated.
Crowding changes the lake. The same two-star reviewer noted there were no terrapins because there were so many boats, and a British guest arriving at 13:00 on a Sunday found the beaches packed. This is a small lake and it fills.
CreteLocals insider tips
Get there at opening, budget for a second hour, and confirm your pick-up the night before.
- Book the earliest slot available, since the pedalos open at 09:00 and reviewers arriving then had the lake nearly to themselves.
- Buy a second hour on the water, which the one-hour inclusion leaves reviewers wishing they had done.
- Check your voucher at allcretevoucher.gr the day before, where the pick-up time and point appear.
- Pedal to the far shore, where the cold springs feed the lake and the water turns noticeably colder.
- Look for terrapins early, because they surface far less once the boats are out in numbers.
- Avoid Sunday afternoons, which reviewers describe as the busiest the lakeside gets.
What to know before you go
Your ticket with the pick-up time and point becomes available one day before the tour at allcretevoucher.gr, check it rather than waiting to be called.
Bring sunglasses, a hat and sunscreen. The lakeside tavernas cover food and drink, and swimming in the lake is free.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the pedalo rental?
The rental covers 60 minutes on the water, with about 4 hours of free time at the lake in total.
Can you swim in Lake Kournas?
Swimming is allowed and free. Kournas is the only freshwater lake in Crete and the water is noticeably colder near the springs on the far shore.
Is the price good value?
Value for money is the weakest score at 3.1 out of 5. €120 covers the transfer and one hour of pedalo, and reviewers describe it as pricey for what is included.
When is the best time to arrive?
Arrive for the 09:00 pedalo opening. Reviewers who came early found the lake nearly empty; those arriving at midday found it packed.
Will you see turtles?
Terrapins live in the lake but surface less when it is busy. One reviewer saw none at all because of the number of boats out.
How do you get your pickup details?
Your voucher with the pick-up time and point appears one day before the tour at allcretevoucher.gr.
Check dates and prices for the Lake Kournas pedal boat rental with transfer.
Location
Lake Kournas is located at Lake Kournas. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
