The compelling Late Minoan site of Gournia (pronounced goor-nyah ) lies just off the coast road, 19km southeast of Agios Nikolaos. The ruins, which date from 1550 to 1450 BC, are made up of a town overlooked by a palace. Gournia’s palace was far less ostentatious than the ones at Knossos and Phaestos as it was the residence of an overlord rather than a king. The town is a network of streets and stairways flanked by houses with walls up to 2m high. Domestic, agricultural and trade implements found on the site indicate that Gournia was a thriving little community. Sitia and Ierapetra buses from Agios Nikolaos can drop you at the site (30 minutes).
South of the palace is a large rectangular court, which was connected to a network of paved stone streets. Nearby is a large stone slab used for sacrificing bulls. The room to the west has a stone kernos (large earthen dish) ringed with 32 depressions and was probably used for cult activity. North of the palace was a Shrine of the Minoan Snake Goddess, which proved to be a rich trove of objects from the Postpalatial period. Notice the storage rooms, workrooms and dwellings to the north and east of the site.
