Foca is a small resort popular with families from the nearby city of Izmir, 70 km to the south. Sitting on the site of ancient Phocaea, there are the remains of a sanctuary devoted to the Anatolian fetility goddess, Cybele, down by the harbour. There are also some excellent fish restaurants along the front, which serve delicious wild seabass (kefal in Turkish) - as opposed to the more common farmed variety- as well as melt-in-the- mouth calamari.
There are a string of pebbly bays along the coast to the north of town, though these get very crowded in summer. The town's mascot is the endangered Mediterranean monk seal, a shy creature which lives along the rockier parts of the shore. A project funded by the WWF and the Turkish government is attempting to protect the last remaining seals, which number as few as 400 in the entire Mediterranean.
Getting There
Foca is a 1 hour drive from Izmir airport.
There are regular buses to Izmir.