Şirince Village

Şirince is a beautiful old hillside village about 8 km above Selçuk and 30 km from Kuşadası, draped across a green valley of vineyards, fig and peach orchards and olive groves. With its whitewashed and ochre stone houses, red-tiled roofs and steep cobbled lanes, it is one of the most photogenic villages on the Aegean and a favourite half-day trip from the coast.

The village has a poignant history. Until the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey it was a prosperous Greek Orthodox settlement called Kirkince; its Greek inhabitants left and Turkish families from the Thessaloniki region resettled here. That layered past is still visible in the architecture and in the two surviving churches — the large Church of St John the Baptist (1805) and the smaller St Demetrius — which you can visit on the edge of the village.

Şirince is best known for its fruit wines. Tiny family producers press wine from peach, pomegranate, mulberry, blackberry and other fruits, and almost every shop on the main lane offers free tastings. Quality varies, so taste before you buy — the better bottles are genuinely good, and they make an easy souvenir. Alongside the wine you will find stalls of local olive oil, soaps, dried fruit, herbs and handmade textiles.

The pleasure here is simply wandering: climb the narrow lanes for views over the valley, stop for gözleme and Turkish coffee at a terrace café, and browse the little workshops. The village is small and the streets are steep and uneven, so wear comfortable shoes and allow a couple of hours.

Try to arrive early or in the later afternoon: in the middle of the day in summer the central lanes fill with tour groups and the atmosphere is busier. Şirince pairs perfectly with Ephesus and Selçuk in a single outing, and is easy to reach by car, taxi or private transfer; by public transport you take a dolmuş up from Selçuk. See our Şirince to Kuşadası transfer guide for the details.