Is Sirince worth visiting?

We were in Ephesus in December on the Jade and also visited there a couple of years before, also on the Jade. We will be on the Spirit in October. We dock in Kusadasi at 1:00 p.m. Is it worth taking a taxi to Sirince? Are there more than shops in Sirince.

Is there anything besides all the shops at the port? The vendors were really aggressive--a real turn-off to me. Are there any coffee shops with wi-fi near the port.

Any suggestions for the afternoon for those who have been to Ephesus more than once.

Thanks,

Susan

We have been to Kusadasi on numerous occasions so when we were there this April we had made prior arrangements with a guide to take us south to DIdyma, Priene, and Miletus. One of the many wonderful things about this great day was we had these historic sights virtually to ourselves --- a welcome change from the mobs at Ephesus.

If you want to shop you are better off just staying in Kusadasi. Sirence used to be a very cute town, but now has become a bit more touristy (and less cute). As to other ideas, we agree with seeing places like Didyma, Miletus, and Prience (we drove our own rental car to all those places plus the weekly market in Tire...on our last visit) if you are more interested in ruins. But these places are best left for a full day.

I would add that we have visited Sirence (easy to do when we have a rental car) which is pretty convenient for those who are also going to Ephesus.

Hank

If you like trains, there is a Rail Museum in Camlik .

The old church in Sirence is worth a visit, but the rest of the village is tiny and there is really not much there. There is some local fruit wine that is available and is nice if you like sweet wine.

Well, I am the one to disagree here…….

We have ported 4 times to Kusadasi and have visited Sirence 3 times. (One time we had my inlaws with us and she is mobility challenged so Sirence was out)

We love the village feel here. Yes, it has gotten touristy but I love the main square (back in a ways) where the elderly ladies display their homemade crocheted items (bought a beautiful tablecloth from one) and the silver jeweler there (Dimitrius of Ephesus) is a unique one of a kind place. Small but full of pieces he designs. (he also designed all the jewelry and headpieces etc for the movie Troy with Brad Pitt)

We also walked up the hill (its steep) and enjoyed the true village feel ….. at one point an elderly gentlemen rides by on a horse, a woman beats her rugs on the fence….. you get the picture. This is a real place where people live etc…..

If you stay on the main road where all the souvenir shops etc are you will only get a touristy experience. Head back into the village - its still very Turkey !

Thanks, everyone. I am a "slow walker." I had no problem in Ephesus but did not do the Terrace houses. Would Sirence be too hard to do if we went there.

Thanks, everyone. I am a "slow walker." I had no problem in Ephesus but did not do the Terrace houses. Would Sirence be too hard to do if we went there.

Guess it is all relative. In Sirence you would have to walk at least a dozen blocks to just stroll through the tourist area. The Terrace Houses are actually a shorter distance, but involve a lot more steps. Personally, we would never suggest anyone miss the Terrace Houses....but as to Sirence we could take it or leave it.

Hank

Thanks, everyone. I am a "slow walker." I had no problem in Ephesus but did not do the Terrace houses. Would Sirence be too hard to do if we went there.

Again, the main road you drive in on (which is what Hank is referring to as 12 blocks long) is the touristy area…… most tours will take you back to an area where they let you off…… then we walked thru an area that is pedestrian only to the main square I was talking about earlier. It is not a long walk at all. It is level but there are large cobbles so uneven somewhat. If you want to walk up the hill it is a bit of a challenge in that in some areas it is steep and rocky. Actually coming down was harder than going up…… but the main area is very accessible……..

ps do a google search "sirence turkey images" and a lot of pics will come up and show you what it looks like…...

For shopping I would really stay at the port with so many stores right there. It will make it a whole lot easier to get around if walking is an issue.

Keith

In the end, we hired a driver/guide, Yucel Bor, who took us to Sirence. I asked for a baklava bakery and Yucel took us to a real village store. The baklava was delicious and four pieces cost about $2.50 in U.S.money. The village had all the election banners, etc. Yucel walked with us in Sirence which wasn't too crowded. It was a very pleasant day with a great cab driver/guide. We also stopped to see St. John's Basilica which I hadn't visited before. Of course, Ephesus is the highlight but we enjoyed our day. No pushy merchants in Sirence. There were many cafes selling filled pancakes but I not hungry enough to try them.

It was okay walking in the main tourist area.

In the end, we hired a driver/guide, Yucel Bor, who took us to Sirence. I asked for a baklava bakery and Yucel took us to a real village store. The baklava was delicious and four pieces cost about $2.50 in U.S.money. The village had all the election banners, etc. Yucel walked with us in Sirence which wasn't too crowded. It was a very pleasant day with a great cab driver/guide. We also stopped to see St. John's Basilica which I hadn't visited before. Of course, Ephesus is the highlight but we enjoyed our day. No pushy merchants in Sirence. There were many cafes selling filled pancakes but I not hungry enough to try them.

It was okay walking in the main tourist area.

Pretty neat little area huh ? Glad you enjoyed your day !

We have been to Kusadasi on numerous occasions so when we were there this April we had made prior arrangements with a guide to take us south to DIdyma, Priene, and Miletus. One of the many wonderful things about this great day was we had these historic sights virtually to ourselves --- a welcome change from the mobs at Ephesus.

I had the same experience four years ago. I am glad I had the opportunity to visit those places. I don't think you would be disappointed.Do your research and your will probably be surprised with the history of the area. We booked a private tour with EKOL.

We had been to Sirence three weeks ago. We rented a car in Kusadasi (Avis, easy walking distance from the cruise port), drove to Ephesos, parked the car at the lower entrance, took a taxi to the upper entrance, walked down through Ephesos (including the terrace house), drove to the Artemis Temple (quick & easy), to St. John's basilica and the excellent Ephesos Museum in Selcuk.

By noon, we drove the scenic road up to Sirence and had a picnic lunch at a nice spot along the road. Sirence used to be a Greek wine growing village until the Turks conquered the area in 1922 and disloged the Greek population. Today, it has a population of about 500 people, a mosque and a church.

We drove through the longish main road to the central square of Sirence and parked our car in the nearby car park. There you are in the midst of things. Yes, Sirence is very touristy with souvenir shops and restaurants and wine sellers. If you leave the main tourist drag and walk up to the church (which was closed when we were there) you see still authentic village life. And the touristy part is not too bad. After all, we enjoyed drinking fresh-squeezed pomegranate juice for 1 Euro per glass. Yes, this is touristy, but is it bad?

After all, we found it a rewarding trip. And we had time for it, anyway.

If you leave the main tourist drag and walk up to the church (which was closed when we were there) you see still authentic village life. And the touristy part is not too bad. After all, we enjoyed drinking fresh-squeezed pomegranate juice for 1 Euro per glass. Yes, this is touristy, but is it bad?

After all, we found it a rewarding trip. And we had time for it, anyway.

We too walked up past the main square area …… truly an authentic village life experience….. I have some wonderful pictures. The view is very nice from up there too. The only caveat was coming down :eek: A bit steep and bumpy/rocky. But I made it !