Gouves

Gouves is located 18 km east of Heraklion, next to Gournes.

Gouves is a large area, which covers several smaller villages, including the popular resort area of Kato Gouves (lower Gouves) and the traditional village of Pano Gouves (upper Gouves), which is built into the side of small Mt. Ederi, only a little more than 300 meters high, with spectacular views.

The name Gouves is derived from "gouva," which means a hollow in the earth. The name Gouves is usually applied to the seaside resort of Kato Gouves, and this is how it will be used throughout this text.

Gouves is neither a village nor a town. It is an inhabited area which owes its development to tourism. There is a main road running from the old Heraklion - Hersonissos National Road down to the beach road. On either side of the road, hotels and apartments extend to a great distance among the fields. There are also a few hotels and apartments above the old National Road. In other words, this is a sparsely-populated area which largely retains its earlier farming character.