About the town
Yeni Foça is a special village, striking a unique balance between offering many - and too few - amenities. For relaxation, the mix is perfect.
By allowing holidaymakers to quickly be charmed into a uniquely 'laid back' lifestyle, families can experience a very different stress-free holiday. If its perhaps better known sister village Eski Foça, 20 Km to the south, is relaxed, the seaside Yeni Foça is even more so. 'A sleepy, typical Turkish village' is how it has been described affectionately. Actually the two Foças compliment each other, but if you want to 'get away from it all' without being bothered, Yeni Foça would be hard to beat.
The town is about 5000 years old. People settled here originally in order to fish and hunt for seals. Later, around a.d. 1200 alum was discovered in the mountains, and it was exported to many countries around the Mediterranean, making Yeni Foça rich. The original name for the town was 'Niyez Fokez', whereas Eski Foça was 'Palyez Fokez'. In the old part of the town much has been preserved, which makes it attractive for painting and photography.
For children there is an excellent beach running the length of the front of the town, and there are a number of walks inland, including one up to the village of Kozbeyli 6 km to the SE. Yeni Foça does have a number of restaurants, 'lokanta' and a supermarket. There are good communications with regular busses to Izmir and to Eski Foça, and there is a car rental firm if you want to travel independently. In Eski Foca you can go on boat trips or indulge in a Turkish Bath.
There is a weekly market every Wednesday, and the prices are generally lower than in Eski Foça, which in turn are a lot cheaper than on the south coast Mediterranean resorts.
Distances:
To Izmir (province capital): 70 km
To Kozbeyli (picturesque village with market on Sundays): 6 km
To Eski Foça (district town, hospital, more shops, boat trips): 20 km
To Menemen (bargains on pots and wicker work): 30 km
To Bergama (Sanctuary of Asclepeion, Turkish carpets): 65 km
To Ephesus (old Greek town, famous for its ruins): 135 km
To Pamukkale (mountain side with white lime deposit, looks like cotton): 300km