How we spent three days in Jeju Island, South Korea
We spent three days on Jeju Island in April, staying in the south of the island close to Seogwipo. We chose this location over Jeju City, as it’s closer to beaches and other outdoor activities that we wanted to do on the island.
What is there to do on Jeju Island?
Mount Hallasan
On our first full day, we climbed Mount Hallasan, the volcano that sits in the centre of Jeju Island. We took the Seongpanak trail, which took about 6.5 hours total to complete the +20 km out-and-back track.
There are a few different trails you can do on Mount Hallasan, but only Seongpanak and Gwaneumsa go to the top. Both trails are steep, but Seongpanak is the less strenuous of the two. This does mean it’s longer in distance and depending on your fitness and climbing experience, is a little longer to hike as well.
Find out everything you need to know about hiking Hallasan here.
Yongmeori Beach
We stayed close to Yongmeori which is a beautiful stretch of coast on the south of Jeju Island. You can walk Olle trails that follow the Jeju coastline and this is considered to be one of the best spots for it as Dansan and Sangban hills are nearby and add to the scenery. There’s a small harbour and loads of seafood restaurants in the area, and it feels a little like the Cornwall of South Korea.
Arte Museum
This place is definitely designed to be Instagrammable, but that doesn’t take away from the fun. Across 7 or 8 large rooms at Arte Museum there are a range of light and illumination displays. Most are immersive and they’re all pretty cool to look at – but they’re not exactly Ryoji Ikeda. We had a rainy afternoon in Jeju and this was a fun way to pass an hour indoors.
Hyeopjae Beach
Not all beaches are open for the whole year in Jeju. So we went to Hyeopjae as we could relax by the sea and paddle even in April. It’s a family-friendly place with plenty of cafes and bars along the back to get coffee and lunch.
Jusangjeolri-dae
These rock formations line the coast from Jungmun to Daepo but the main place to see them is at Jusangjeolri-dae. The volcanic columns were formed when lava cooled rapidly, causing cracks that created the shape we see today. It’s very cool to see and makes for impressive photos of. But it’s a bit annoying that you have to pay to get in.
Other things we would have liked to do but didn’t have time (or weather) for included:
The Spirited Garden
Sunset at Seongsan Ilchulbong mountain
Cheonjiyeon and Jeongbang Waterfalls
Manjanggul cave complex
Oedolgae sea stack formation
Sanbansan Mountain
Loveland
Is it worth visiting Jeju Island?
I liked Jeju. It’s pretty and I can see why Korean people would holiday there the same way we do in Cornwall or Scotland or anywhere else on our own coastline. The difference was that it just felt so controlled and lacking in the freedom that a rural place should make you feel. In fact, it’s not even that rural anymore. There are highways and buildings everywhere and you never feel like you’re the only person out in the wild – which was what I had been expecting.
Across Jeju Island there were so many instances where it felt like bureaucracy got in the way of enjoying nature. Not being able to see a coastline without parking in an over-developed lot and paying for a ticket. Not being able to hike up a mountain without booking a slot, bringing your passport, and passing shelters that have been built along the way before a set time. The beach being covered in netting to stop the sand from blowing onto other sand. Some beaches being closed altogether… It's a beautiful island that is actually hard to fully experience due to human interference.
I enjoyed our time in Jeju, but it’s too built up and controlled, and it doesn’t feel like anyone is allowed to just go out and explore it without passing some kind of man-made blocker.
Find out more about how we spent two weeks in South Korea here.