Terrace Houses

Activities

• Ephesus is what you've probably come for, and it's worth every mile of the journey: a huge rambling ruin of a 2500-year-old city which once stood on the seashore, boasting a huge theatre where St. Paul preached (and 2 smaller ones), the famous façade of the Roman Celsus library, fabulous mosaics in the separately housed patrician villas, plus countless temples, statues and monumental gates. Allow at least half a day
  
  
• The nearest decent beach is at Pamucak, 5km beyond Ephesus – sandy, shallow and child-friendly, with drinks, snacks and showers available at the Dereli campsite (whose owner is, handily, a friend of Charlotte and Omer's)
  
  
• But, if you have the energy, it's worth driving the extra 45 minutes to the peninsula and national park of Dilek, which has 4 secluded, pebbly beaches, as well as signed hiking trails through dense pine forests and across a mini-canyon
  
• In and around Sirince, you can take a cooking lesson, go pony trekking, take a ride on a tractor, follow footpaths past fields and friendly farmers to the headspring, taste fruit liqueurs, browse beautiful ceramics, and (our favourite) invest in some "genuine fake Rolexes"
  
  
• Midway from Sirince to Ephesus is the town of Selcuk - but don't drive straight through: stop to visit the castle of St John, the 6th century basilica of St. John the Apostle, the museum (if you're keen), and the storks nesting on telegraph poles
  
  
• Nearby is House of the Virgin Mary, a popular pilgrimage for devout Christians and Muslims alike, who believe she came here with John after Christ's death and lived in this now-restored house until her assumption; and that the spring which flows from beneath the house has miraculous properties (it certainly perked us up on a sweltering, site-weary afternoon)
  
  
• Another short detour takes you to the Cave of the Seven Sleepers, whose interest lies principally in the legend behind it – a nice story (which I won't relate now, just google it), but the cave itself is now fenced off
  
  
• Further afield, the Ottoman architecture and the fascinating felt factory at Tire, a bustling and totally un-touristified market town 1 hour away, make a worthwhile trip, especially on a Tuesday to coincide with the weekly market (a great place to stock up on olive oil, cheese, fabrics etc. without the hassle or the prices of, say, Kusadasi)