Şirince

Spending the afternoon in the cute alpine village of Şirince. Indeed, the Turkish word şirin means ‘cute’. Built on fertile fields in the hills, it is famed for fruit wine, amazing olive oil and fresh produce. Vehicles are banned from the narrow cobbled streets and the aesthetic of the village is protected. Local market stalls and boutique shops sell handmade clothes, locally-produced soaps, handicrafts and preserves of fruit. The Turkish coffee here is cooked in a pan of hot sand, as per tradition. And local cafes hand out samples of Karadut Özü, or black mulberry juice. This laid-back town really is a quaint hidden gem in Turkiye’s Izmir Provence.