Surrounded by cherry and almond orchards, vineyards and olive groves, Kirazli sits in a valley at the base of the pine clad mountains of the National Park. From earliest times, this area has been inhabited and the remains of Classical, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman cultures can still be seen.
As the architecture of Kirazli itself indicates, this was once a Greek and Turkish village. Now, the streets originally built to allow two camels to pass, lead to a Mosque. Even today, one can see elderly men riding donkeys that bring wood for each family from the forests. The year still revolves around the harvest culminating in June with the cherry festival.
In contrast, the bustling centre of Kusadasi on the coast about 15 minutes away, provides all the amenities of a modern tourist centre - beaches, restaurants, bars, discos, water parks, shopping, a market and factory outlets nearby.
To the south is the large National Park with pristine secluded beaches where one can swim, snorkel or scuba dive. In this unspoilt paradise there are many species of birds and even wild boar and leopard.
The beautiful Meander Valley extends inland towards the travetine deposits of Pammukkalle and has given us the word 'meander' because of the river's constantly changing course over millenia.