The settlement of Gournia constitutes one of the most representative and best preserved examples of Minoan towns. Gournia is situated in the gulf of Mirabello, in the northern part of the Ierapetra isthmus. The settlement is built on a hill and is made up of building complexes situated between roads.

On the top of the hill, ruins of an independent complex have been uncovered. The complex may be ten times smaller than the palace at Knossos, but it closely resembles the layout of Minoan palaces, particularly in the arrangement of the west wing of the complex, which is paved and built of the large limestone domes common on the western facades of palaces.

Other features in common with palaces include the complex of magazines of the west court, and the contiguous staircase which may have led, to the reception halls of the upper floor. Moreover, there is a small staircase at the northern end which resembles the theatral area of Knossos, while in the southern part there is an open area, known to have been a public area, which seems to have been designed for social events. At the southeastern corner of the complex, there is a small room with a polythyron facing the central court which resembles similar rooms of the west wing of the Phaistos palace. A low bench has been found there. In addition, in another room, whose shape resembles the palatial tripartite shrines, consecration horns and bases with cavities have been discovered, all of which suggests that it was used as a shrine.