Фоча / Foca

Coming back from Cesme to Bulgaria, I wanted to go through the extremely heavy traffic around Izmir early in the morning, so I began a frantic search for an interesting place nearby, where we could then have breakfast with aromatic coffee and take a nice walk. That’s how I discovered the charming fishing village Foca!

Where is located and how to get there

Born on the remains of the ancient Greek city of Phocaea, today’s Foca occupies the territory around two Mediterranean bays 70 km north of Izmir. To get to it, it is necessary to turn off about 30 km from the main road between Izmir and Ayvalık (136 km) in the direction of the coast. Parking, as in most Turkish cities in the area, is chaotic and in the summer, finding a free space will certainly be a challenge. In our case, we were able to park undisturbed right HERE, but you can also use the more spacious parking HERE.

See car rental options in Turkey

If you don’t have a car and want to do a day trip from Izmir to Foca, something very popular when visiting the area, you can take a train from the local system Izban to Hatundere station, where you connect to bus 744. The whole trip takes about 2 hours each way.

See places to stay in Foca

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Morning coffee around the stone houses

Our main focus is the promenade walk which starts right in this area. At its very beginning is the stone house of Kavala Wine Bistro Bar, serving as a cafe during the day and a bar in the evening. They were just opening and with a smile they welcomed us for an aromatic cappuccino with a view of the fortress on the opposite peninsula, separating the two bays of Foca.

Both this and most of the neighboring houses have a strong Greek vision. Most date from the 18th century, when Greeks predominated among the local population. In the 20s of the 20th century, they were massively evicted from Turkey and Muslims were settled in their homes, with which the thousand-year-old Greek thread of the former city of Phocaea was broken.

Today, many of these stone buildings are impressive boutique hotels, and the colorful shutters on the windows and tall palm trees around them add a touch of Mediterranean flair.

The Secret Square

Mesmerized by the gentle rocking of the perfectly lined-up fishing boats, or staring at the cats trying to snatch a fish from the moored fishermen, you might miss a narrow detour to the hidden Taş Evler Meydan square. I can easily define it as a small open-air ethnographic museum! In addition to the fact that you can touch the cultural wealth left over the centuries, you can also find a great background for a perfect photo…

More about ancient Phocaea

Ancient Phocaea was founded around 900 BC. by the Athenians, who named it after the rare marine inhabitants that can still be found today around the nearby islands – the Mediterranean monk seals (Phocidae). It quickly established itself as one of the most important settlements in Ionia, even being among the pioneers in minting its own gold coins. The Phocaeans are renowned as prominent colonists and master seafarers who spread colonies throughout the Mediterranean and founded Massalia in present-day France in 600 BC. (present-day Marseille).

In 546 BC Greco-Persian wars begin, and Phocaea is among the first cities attacked by the Persians. Faced with the threat of falling under the power of the Persians, the Phocaeans abandoned their city and headed for the island of Chios and the island of Corsica. Subsequently, a large part of them settled along the coast of today’s Italy in the Tyrrhenian Sea, where they founded the ancient city of Elea. After their departure, the more notable civilizations that inhabited the lands of the once fast-growing city were the Romans, Genoese and Ottomans.

💡 A few kilometers east of the city is the only Persian mausoleum in Anatolia. It is thought to have been built for the tomb of King Abradatas of Susa and his queen Panthea.

To the center of Eski Foca

But the visit to this fishing town, which is actually officially a district of Izmir, wasn’t tied to sightseeing, but rather to soaking up its peaceful atmosphere, to the rhythm of the sea sounds from the Aegean coast. Tourists come mainly during the summer season, and residents of the region use it for a weekend getaway, but the waterfront establishments were still ready to welcome every visitor.

Walking along the alley, we had to go around the freshly hauled fishing nets, from which wafted the aroma of fresh fish. In a short time you can reach the spacious central square with numerous cafes, taverns and small shops. The local old mens have occupied the most strategic benches and look suspiciously at any stranger. From them you can also hear the expression Eski Foça, which in translation means Old Foca and is necessary due to the emergence of the new part (Yenifoça), located 20 km away.

To the inner streets for fresh baked goods

ВDespite the attractive coastline, it’s worth sneaking inland too, where in places the vines winding around the stone houses have formed impressive tunnels. And let’s not forget that we had arrived in the morning and one of our main missions was to visit the best bakery in town – Tarihi Foça Simit Fırını.

It’s just a stone’s throw from the center and in summer you will know she by the long queues of people waiting in front of the entrance, and the off-season it is the only place where locals come one after another and leave with bags full. It offers a huge variety of fresh baked goods and sweet delights that kept us coming back several times for more and more… Everything was very tasty!

Around the castle walls

Of course, reaching at some point perhaps the best-preserved landmark in Eski Foca is inevitable! That’s how we end up around the walls of the castle with the five gates – Beşkapılar Kalesi. Despite repeated fortifications during the Genoese and Ottoman periods, only a small part of its outer walls remains today. But the walk along the built alley around them is very pleasant! Perhaps the most important ruins in Foca are hidden behind it – the ancient temples of Cybele and Athena. Also the earliest Ottoman structure in the area, the 1531 Fatih Mosque, which is still in Muslim use.

The promenade around it, built literally over the water, leads to the marina of the neighboring bay. If you take this walk, you will come across a model of the ship Kybele, which made the ancient Phocians famous as skilled seafarers and reached the shores of present-day Marseille in just 62 days! Here is the perfect place to meet the sunset or just watch the lively promenade with the boats across the street…

For a final

Inhabited since ancient times, today’s Foca can be a perfect choice for a summer vacation or a pleasant walk during the rest of the year. The nearby beaches are some of the best in the Izmir area, and the relaxed atmosphere around the coast is attractive to residents of the bustling metropolis. Six uninhabited islands would be a perfect choice to visit by boat, but beware of the sirens – the mythological creatures from Homer’s “Odyssey” that lured sailors to crash right on the rocks of Orak Island, the largest of those around Foca…