Şirince village is near the ancient ruins of Ephesus and the cosmopolitan holiday resort of Kuşadası on the Aegean coast of Turkey. No-one is certain of the exact history of the village but rumours suggest freed slaves from the Roman city of Ephesus, founded it and named their village Cirkince (ugly) because they did not want outsiders interrupting their newly found home.

For hundreds of years, Greeks and Turks lived side by side in the village until the Turkish War of Independence in 1923. After this, locals were mainly Turks and a local governor changed the name to Şirince to show its beauty.

Fame was to come again to the locals of Şirince when the Mayan calendar predicted that the date December 21st 2012 would be doomsday and the end of the world. New age spiritualists said Şirince would be freed though, and the village saw upwards of 60,000 people descending in droves for this special occasion.

Şirince Village is just 8km away from Selçuk and is famous for its wine from many sorts of fruit. 

Şirince Village Tour: We leave in the morning to begin the journey to Şirince. Once we have arrived, free time is given to explore the village. Meet the locals, see the old-fashioned houses and enter the church of the Virgin Mary. During the day, we will also gather for lunch in one of the traditional restaurants and indulge in some wine tasting of the famous local wines. And of course, you'll be able to purchase some too.