Destination · Aegean hills
Eight kilometres up a winding road from Selçuk, in a fold of hills covered with olive trees and vines, Şirince is the village everyone falls for. White houses, cobbled lanes, a church on the hill and a glass of blackberry wine on a shady terrace: it is the perfect place to slow down after Ephesus.
Plan your Şirince tripAbout Şirince
For centuries this was Kırkınca, a Greek-speaking village of farmers and winemakers. After the population exchange of 1923, its families left for Greece, where many founded the village of Nea Efesos, and Turkish families from Thessaloniki and the Balkans moved into their houses. They kept the vineyards, the olive groves and the habit of making wine, and in 1926 the village got its new name, Şirince, 'pleasant'. Today you can read both stories in its churches, its houses and its food.
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Village life & heritage
Şirince is small enough to walk end to end in twenty minutes, and charming enough to spend a whole day doing it. Leave the main shopping lane behind and the quiet side streets show you how the village really lives.
Two-storey houses with whitewashed walls, stone ground floors, wooden bay windows and red-tiled roofs climb the hillside, most of them from the 19th century. The whole village is protected as a historic site. Look up at the carved eaves and painted shutters, and down at the old cobbles polished by mules and centuries of feet.
The Greek houses, the churches and the Turkish families who arrived after 1923 have blended into one village with a double memory. A local guide brings the population exchange to life through real family stories. Şirince even made the news in 2012, when crowds came up the hill convinced the village would survive the 'Mayan end of the world'.
At the top of the village stands the 19th-century church of the former Greek Orthodox community, with stone columns, brick arches and traces of old wall paintings. It is quiet and atmospheric, and the view from its terrace is one of the best in Şirince. Opening times vary, so we check before your visit.
Around Şirince the hills roll away in olive groves, vineyards, peach and fig orchards. After the archaeological sites and the busy coast, the countryside feels wonderfully calm. In spring the slopes turn green and full of wild flowers; in autumn you may see the olive harvest.
Walk up through the lanes for the classic view over the rooftops, then out along the footpaths into the hills when the weather allows. Early morning and late afternoon bring the softest light and the fewest visitors, the best time for photographs.
Local flavours
Much of the pleasure of Şirince is at the table. Come hungry, and take something home in your suitcase.
Şirince is famous across Turkey for its fruit wines: blackberry, mulberry, peach, quince, melon and many more, alongside wines from local grapes. Small shops offer tastings in old houses and wooden stalls. Some are sweet, some surprisingly good; try a few before you choose. Tasting is always optional.
Start with a long village breakfast in a garden: fresh bread, local cheeses, olives, homemade jams, honey and tea. Later, try gözleme, a thin pastry cooked on a griddle, and seasonal Aegean dishes full of olive oil and wild greens. Simple, generous and very local.
Browse stalls of olive oil, olive-oil soaps, dried fruit, spices, hand-painted ceramics, textiles and lace. Much of it comes from the villages and towns of the Aegean region. A bottle of local olive oil is one of the best souvenirs you can bring home.
Near Şirince
Şirince sits just above some of the most important historic sites in the İzmir region. Combine them for a full, varied day, with the village as the relaxed ending.
The Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre and the marble streets of one of the great Roman cities are a short drive down the hill. Visit Ephesus in the cool of the morning, then come up to Şirince for lunch.
In the pine woods above Ephesus, a small stone chapel is honoured as the place where Mary spent her last years. Christians and Muslims alike come here to pray, and it is a natural stop on a Christian heritage day.
The emperor Justinian built this vast basilica in the 6th century over the grave traditionally believed to be that of John the Apostle. Its walls and columns stand on the hill above Selçuk, with wide views over the town and the plain.
One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World once stood here. Today a single rebuilt column rises from a green field, with Selçuk's castle and the İsa Bey Mosque behind it, a moving reminder of how great Ephesus once was.
Experiences
Every private tour can mix these experiences in any order, at your own pace.
The architecture, the history of the two communities and the traditions that live on in the narrow streets.
A village breakfast, local specialities and seasonal dishes in a garden restaurant or café.
Handmade products, regional foods, olive oil, ceramics and souvenirs.
Old houses, tiled rooftops and the green hills from the village's high lanes.
Şirince together with Ephesus and Selçuk for a rich, varied cultural day.
Trip length
Two or three hours are enough to see the village, but half a day lets you enjoy it properly. To really feel its pace, stay a night in one of its old stone houses.
Walk the historic streets, browse the shops and stop for a Turkish coffee or a local snack.
Explore slowly, visit the church if it is open and sit down to a long traditional meal.
Combine the village with Ephesus or the landmarks of Selçuk, depending on your interests.
Sleep in a village guesthouse, walk the countryside at dawn and see Ephesus without rushing.
Good to know
Spring and autumn are the loveliest seasons for walking the village and the hills. Summer days get busy around midday, so come early or late. Winter is quiet and atmospheric, with cooler, sometimes rainy days.
Şirince is 8 km from Selçuk, about 15 minutes by car, and about 20 minutes from Ephesus. It is around 30 minutes from Kuşadası and about an hour from İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport.
The lanes are steep, cobbled and uneven in places, so wear comfortable walking shoes. Bring a light layer: the village is cooler than the coast in the evening.
Tailor-made for you
Combine Şirince with ancient history, Christian heritage, regional food or a wider journey through western Turkey: your itinerary is built around you.
Let's plan your holiday
Tick the places and experiences you would like to include, tell us how many of you are travelling, how many days you have and your preferred dates. We will prepare a personal itinerary and email it with a price.
Choose the places you would love to see, how many of you are travelling and for how long.
We write a private programme just for you and email it with a personal price.
Change anything you like. We refine the programme with you until it feels just right.
From history and faith to hidden villages and the coast, find the journey that suits you. Every one can include Şirince.
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Şirince shows the gentle, traditional side of the Aegean, beyond its famous ruins. Its old houses, local flavours and peaceful hills make it the perfect companion to Ephesus and Selçuk, and we plan your visit around your interests, your pace and your dates.
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