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Voykit pocket guide · Türkiye (Turkey)
Foça
Base in Eski Foça for 2 nights, not Yeni Foça: the old town, castle and boat trips are here, and İzmir is 1.5 h by train and bus.
Foça is a small Aegean resort 60 km north of İzmir, split into two towns 20 km apart. Eski Foça has the old town, the Genoese castle, the harbour restaurants and the boat trips; Yeni Foça is a quieter second resort. Two nights covers the town and a boat day; one night is enough if you treat it as an İzmir beach break. Book transport and rooms as "Eski Foça" — the two names are not interchangeable.
- Country
- Türkiye (Turkey)
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, crowded, peak prices)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- TRY
- Money
- Currency is the Turkish lira (₺, TRY). About ₺56 to €1 in late September 2026 — check; inflation was still in the double digits, so prices rise several times a year.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₺1,200–2,000 excl. bed · Mid ₺2,000–3,500 excl. bed · High ₺3,500+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom sell tourist SIMs at airports (passport needed); they are dearer than in town shops — check.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 112
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Standard European two-pin; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Lokanta / simple café: Leave the coins or round up.; Sit-down restaurant: 5–10% in cash, even if the card machine does not offer a tip; check for a 'servis' charge first.; Taxi: Round up to the next ₺10–50.; Hamam: 10–15% to the attendant (tellak/natır).; Guide / driver day: €10–20 for a guide, €5–10 for a driver per day.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ₺50–100.
- Water
- Tap water is treated and chlorinated but tastes of it; locals buy bottled or 19-litre dispenser water. Restaurants charge for bottled water.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and restaurants; squat toilets (alaturka) in older mosques and bus stops. Public toilets (WC) cost ₺10–30 — carry coins or small notes. Most toilets have a bidet spray; paper goes in the bin in older buildings.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea in a café | ₺60–120 |
| Pide or a simple lunch | ₺150–300 |
| Harbour seafood dinner, per person | ₺500–1,000 |
| Beer in a bar | ₺120–200 |
| Dolmuş along the beach strip | ₺25–40 (check) |
| Boat trip with lunch | ₺700–1,200 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ₺300–600 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ADB · İzmir Adnan Menderes
- İZBAN suburban train to Hatundere, then Eshot bus 744 to Eski Foça; about 2 h door to door (check)
Typical fares
- Bus 744 Hatundere → Eski Foça
- about ₺40, 40 min (check)
- İZBAN Hatundere → İzmir centre
- about ₺60, 50 min (check)
- Taxi Eski Foça → Yeni Foça
- ₺600–900 (check)
Get around
Eski Foça is walkable: bus station to castle is about 15 minutes on foot. Dolmuşes and taxis run the 5 km beach strip. There is no bus along the coast between Eski Foça and Yeni Foça — you need a dolmuş, taxi or your own car. Local transport takes the İzmirim card, not cash.Eski Foça is walkable: bus station to castle is about 15 minutes on foot. Dolmuşes and taxis run the 3.1 mi beach strip. There is no bus along the coast between Eski Foça and Yeni Foça — you need a dolmuş, taxi or your own car. Local transport takes the İzmirim card, not cash.
See and do
Known for
- Beş Kapılar (Five Gates) Castle
- Mediterranean monk seals and the Foça Islands
- Boat trips and snorkelling
- Harbour seafood in Eski Foça
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| İzmir | Bus 744 to Hatundere, then İZBAN blue line to the city centre | About 1.5 h |
| Yeni Foça | Dolmuş or taxi; no bus along the coast road | About 30 min |
| Bergama and Pergamon | Bus 744 to Hatundere, İZBAN to Aliağa, then a local bus or taxi | 2.5–3 h |
| Çeşme | Back through İzmir by bus and İZBAN, then a westbound bus | 3 h+ |
Sleep
- Eski Foça old town and harbour
- Walk to the castle, restaurants and boat quays; the pick for a short stay.
- Eski Foça beach strip north of the bus station
- Hotels and pensions along the bay, 5 km of coast; dolmuş and taxi run the strip.Hotels and pensions along the bay, 3.1 mi of coast; dolmuş and taxi run the strip.
- İngiliz Burnu headland
- Breezy camping headland north of the bay; no water supply or toilets.
- Yeni Foça
- 20 km north, its own beach and hotels, no bus link along the coast to Eski Foça.12 mi north, its own beach and hotels, no bus link along the coast to Eski Foça.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Merhabamer-hah-BAH |
| Thank you | Teşekkürlerteh-shek-kewr-LER |
| How much is it? | Ne kadar?neh kah-DAR |
| The bill, please | Hesap, lütfenheh-SAHP, lewt-FEN |
| Can I pay by card? | Kartla ödeyebilir miyim?KART-lah ur-deh-yeh-bee-LEER mee-yim |
| Where is the toilet? | Tuvalet nerede?too-vah-LET NEH-reh-deh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Merhaba' (hello) or 'Selamün aleyküm' in conservative areas; cheek kisses between friends of the same sex; avoid: Offering a hand to a conservative woman first — wait for hers
- Mosques: Covered clothing, headscarf for women, shoes in hand, quiet voice; avoid: Walking in front of people praying; visiting during Friday midday prayer
- Hospitality: Accept tea or at least a sip; bring sweets or pastries to a home; avoid: Refusing food repeatedly; showing the soles of your feet
- Politics and history: Listen; let hosts raise it; avoid: Opinions on Atatürk, the Kurdish issue, Armenia or Cyprus with people you just met
- Ramadan: Eat discreetly in conservative towns during the day; avoid: Eating, drinking or smoking in front of fasting people in small towns
- Gestures: A slight upward head nod with a tut means 'no'; avoid: The OK hand sign (can be read as rude) and a thumb between fingers
- Dress in town: Shorts are fine in Istanbul and resorts; longer clothes in the interior and east; avoid: Swimwear away from the beach
- Names: First name plus Bey (men) or Hanım (women): 'Ahmet Bey'; avoid: Using the surname alone
Scams and watch-outs
- Eski Foça and Yeni Foça are 20 km apart: confirm which one your booking and bus are for.
- The castle interior is closed; only the ramparts and shore road are open.
- İZBAN and bus 744 stop running around midnight; plan the last leg back from İzmir.
- The İngiliz Burnu camping headland has no water or toilets.
- Summer midday heat on the beach strip is strong; shade and water matter more than in İzmir.
Foça is a calm resort and the usual risks are small: heat, sea urchins off the rocks, and harbour restaurants with no posted prices — ask the total before you sit.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Foça yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Beş Kapılar (Five Gates) Castle
- Mediterranean monk seals and the Foça Islands
- Boat trips and snorkelling
- Harbour seafood in Eski Foça
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Foça municipality: www.foca.bel.tr/
- İZBAN suburban rail: www.izban.com.tr/
- Wikivoyage: Foça, revision 5339266 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5339266
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Foça
Bu adrese, lütfen
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- All emergencies112
No embassies in Foça; consulates-general are in İzmir and embassies in Ankara.
Local transport takes the İzmirim card, not cash; buy one at an İZBAN station.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/foca-turkey). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.