Gouves, Greece

Gouves (Γούβες) is a town and municipality a few kilometers east of Heraklion in Crete.

Gouves is a well-developed tourist resort with long sandy beaches, traditional villages and interesting archeological sites. West of Gouves are the tourist resorts of Kokkini Hani and Amnisos, both with similar attractions, and to the east is Crete's biggest resort, Hersonisos.

The village of Gouves lies about 20 km (12 miles) east of Heraklion. Kato Gouves, with its long sandy beach, is the summer resort just outside the village. There is a variety of accommodation, from large hotels to boarding houses and self-catering apartments, and there are many restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and shops.

Within a short distance are beautiful and picturesque villages and interesting sights, such as the monastery of Saint John "Theologos". The Skotino Cave lies about 6 km (3¾ miles) inland and is one of the largest and most spectacular in Crete. About one km (½ mile) inland from the summer resort of Amnisos (about 7 km (4½ miles) from Heraklion city) are the mysterious caves of Eileithyia. The most important archeological sites of the area are the Minoan villa in Kokkini Hani and the one in Amnisos.