Terrace Houses

Three delightfully restored cottages for 4-6 in the leafy hill town of Sirince, near Ephesus

This place charmed us to bits. Why? Firstly, the houses: a trio of 19th century cottages built by the Greeks before they abandoned this pretty hill town, and restored with lashings of love and personality by Anglo-Turkish owners Charlotte and Omer. You'll find reclaimed marble basins and claw-footed tubs, vast sleigh beds and snuggly sleeping lofts, cool Chinese lanterns and wrought iron chandeliers, strings of drying red peppers in the kitchens and clutches of fresh pink oleander by the bedside. These are cosy homes with character and history (which Omer can, if you want, tell you all about).

Secondly, the town: Sirince (pronounced shirinjé) is a cool, pine-ringed Eden perched 500m above (and several degrees below) stifling Seljuk and concrete Kusadasi. Admire stately crumbling townhouses, explore cool footpaths, barter for lace doilies, fruit liqueurs and painted ceramics with the gentle townsfolk - one of whom, the charming Aysel, serves silver-domed dinners and savoury breakfasts on the magical terrace. Oh, and one more reason: you're just 10km from the eastern Med's most impressive ancient city, Ephesus.

Highs

• Its proximity to Ephesus is reason alone to stop over here; but come for a week, explore the beaches of Dilek and the markets of Tire, and you will really get under the skin of this fascinating area
• You could not feel better cared for: Omer and Charlotte offer fresh lemon juice on arrival, all manner of sightseeing advice (including Ephesus info packs to borrow), and personal introductions to Sirince's most trustworthy shopkeepers
• Skip the self-catering: Aysel's breakfast menemen sets you up for the day, and her baked aubergines, stuffed peppers and tragana round it off perfectly

Lows

• Some cruise-boat coaches visit Sirince for lunch and souvenir-hunting, but mornings and evenings are all yours
• The lanes round here are donkey-sized, so you can't drive to the front door (but you do get help with bags)
• You need to go downstairs for night-time pees
• Rooms are snug and a bit wonky, but that's part of their charm (and of the strict preservation laws)
• This is village living: no swimming pools, no high-tech kitchens, but you do get plenty of CDs, books and even WiFi