Foca


Foca

Overview

Introduction

There are actually two Focas in Turkey: Yeni and Eski ("New" and "Old").

Eski Foca, 44 mi/70 km north of Izmir, is larger and makes a good overnight stop en route south from Canakkale to Izmir. Hotels and restaurants ring a pleasing harbor with not much for visitors to do but sit and watch the play of sun on water.

Yeni Foca is less prepared to accommodate visitors, but it has many fine old Greek houses that are being snapped up by a mixture of Izmir residents and Germans.

The area is also known for Mediterranean monk seals. Now an endangered species protected by the Turkish government, the once ubiquitous mammal was mentioned in the ancient writings of Homer, Aristotle and Oppian. Now that commercial fishing, habitat loss and hunting have taken their toll, modern sightings are much more rare.

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