<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Villa Kourkoulios]]></title><description><![CDATA[Traditional Cretan villa in the foothills of the White Mountains, near Chania. Sleeps up to six guests and features a private swimming pool.]]></description><link>https://www.villakourkoulios.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2026 16:53:55 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.villakourkoulios.com/nl/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Aptera: Three Thousand Years Above Souda Bay]]></title><description><![CDATA[A thirty-minute drive from the villa, on a hilltop above Souda Bay, sits one of ancient Crete's most important city-states — a place that minted its own coins, sent archers to fight in wars across the Mediterranean, and survived for well over a thousand years before an earthquake brought it down. Aptera makes a rewarding half-day out, with Hellenistic walls, a restored theatre, a Roman villa still being excavated, and two enormous rainwater cisterns among the highlights.]]></description><link>https://www.villakourkoulios.com/post/aptera-three-thousand-years-above-souda-bay</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ab252056b7f5be70be55e10</guid><pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2026 10:36:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5f01e9_7bc6d5eef96f4782a323e73d638f9210~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nick Trustram Eve</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Discovering Maza]]></title><description><![CDATA[A short, shaded walk from the villa, along a track flanked by olive groves and woodland, brings you to the tiny village of Maza — home to a historic chapel and Kosta's Taverna, where you can sit down to proper Cretan cooking after the walk. Close enough for an easy evening stroll, with wildflowers lining the route and a warm welcome waiting at the other end.]]></description><link>https://www.villakourkoulios.com/post/discovering-maza</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a53e4870eb6d92caeec3df8</guid><pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 19:17:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5f01e9_2592b49875e84fa5bade6836f1b346d4~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nick Trustram Eve</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Story of Villa Kourkoulios and the Village of Champatha]]></title><description><![CDATA[Villa Kourkoulios sits in Champatha, a tiny hamlet in the foothills of the White Mountains whose history stretches back centuries — though little has ever been written about it in English. This is the story of the village around the villa: its old stone houses, its olive groves, and the quiet mountain life that has shaped this corner of Crete long before it became a place for guests to stay.]]></description><link>https://www.villakourkoulios.com/post/the-story-of-villa-kourkoulios-and-the-village-of-champatha</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a521a855c421b82021c5fed</guid><pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 10:43:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5f01e9_a5de0046a2334d818666f6dc7e6f0ef6~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nick Trustram Eve</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>