This is part 2 of our Jeju Island adventure. Go to part 1.
After four days on the north coast, we changed locations to the south coast. We had booked a hotel on the outskirts of Seogwipo, near Beophwan village. Our apartment had a patio with a nice view towards the sea.
Day One
The next morning we set off down the Olle trail, which ran right along the seashore in front of the hotel. We headed east. In the nearby village of Beophwan there was a Haenyeo change-house. We could see their gear drying inside, but even though we passed this post a number of times we did not see any divers around.
We got views of Hallasan volcano, with its dusting of snow. Spot the Dol Hareubang hiding in the bushes.
Another Dol Hareubang statue along the trail.
It was a beautiful day: mild and sunny.
At a place called Bunker House we crossed a rocky beach. On the other side of the beach, a dirt trail led onwards.
There were lots of yellow wildflowers along this stretch of trail. Note the Olle trail markers and horse-shaped interpretive sign.
From here the trail went upward and inland, towards the coastal highway. There were lots of orange orchards here.
After a short distance along the highway, the trail descended back towards the ocean, towards a parking lot that marked the start of a paved and very scenic trail.
A short distance ahead was a coffee shop called sixty-beans. We ordered coffee and cakes, found a spot in the garden, and soaked up the views.
Posing for a picture along the scenic Olle trail.
In the previous pictures you can see a point jutting out into the sea. The point is a park where people were strolling and picnicking.
The rugged coastline featured some tall sea-stacks.
The trail led on past a few more bays and points before ending at a picnic area. We sat down, had an orange, and contemplated the outstanding scenery we had just walked through. This trail was much nicer than expected. We returned the same way.
Day Two
As we left our guesthouse, the landlady came rushing out and gave us a handful of freshly-picked oranges for a trail snack. How nice! She did this each subsequent day of hiking.
We drove to Seogwipo’s waterfront at Jaguri Park, where we parked our car and started our hike. We stopped by Seobok Hall, an interpretive center that explains the voyage of Xu Fu. Xu Fu was a Chinese scientist who came to Jeju more than 2000 years ago. He was looking for plants that bestow everlasting life.
Xu Fu used this location on Jeju as his basecamp because there is a stream that cascades down the lava escarpment into the sea. Today, this cascade is a popular tourist attraction with a hefty entrance fee. We decided to skip it. Instead, we stopped by a second waterfall called Sojeongbang. Here is a picture of Diana at the top of the waterfall.
Beyond the waterfall the Olle Trail passes through two resorts: Honeymoon House and the KAL Hotel. The KAL Hotel has beautiful gardens, and these are currently open to hikers passing through. Note that there is a bypass trail at the shoreline that goes across a rough lava flow.
Beyond the resorts, the Olle trail followed a quiet shoreline road (Geomeunyeo-ro). There were excellent sea views along this section.
The trail then ascended a headland, crossed a small bay, and entered a “vegetation tunnel” sandwiched between the sea and a coastal road.
The vegetation tunnel ended at some cafes beside the coastal road. It was lunchtime, and we were getting hungry. We ordered ramen soup and a gimbap roll with octopus inside. The soup was unremarkable but the gimbap roll was absolutely delicious.
From there we walked along the sidewalk that follows the coastal road into Bomok Village. We ended our day of hiking at the local Buddhist temple.
Diana takes a picture of a colorful statue.
We hiked back to our car the way we came.
Day 3
We started our day by driving to Bomok Village, where we had turned around the day before. We parked at the marina and started our hike east on the seawall.
At the edge of town there was a Dol Hareubang statue.
We followed a quiet coastal road (Bomokpo-ro).
We rounded a point, and the road turned towards Soesokkak Harbour.
Soesokkak has a gravelly beach. We stopped by a cafe and got some coffees and pastries to go, and we found a bench by the beach where we took a break.
The other tourist attraction in Soesokkak is the ria at the far end of the beach. There, the sea backs up a rivermouth into a canyon. The bottom of the ria is a brilliant aquamarine when lit by the sun. I’m not sure of the geological origin of the ria – a collapsed lava tube perhaps? In any case, the thing to do here is to rent a rowboat and to paddle a few hundred meters upstream where the ria ends.
The Olle trail follows the edge of the ria inland.
A few hundred meters inland, the trail crossed the canyon on a bridge and followed a road to the east. After a short distance, the trail turned off the road and followed a track towards the sea, leading through orange groves.
The oranges were ripe and ready for picking.
This grove had already been picked once.
The path ended near the sea. At the sea, a “vegetation tunnel” led eastward along the shoreline. We could hear (but not see) the waves lapping against the lava flow. The trail emerged from the vegetation at Gongcheonpo Village. Here, we bought some pizza slices at a bakery and ate them while sitting on a bench overlooking a black-sand beach.
After lunch we walked on, following a quiet shoreline road (Gongcheonpo-ro).
Ahead, the road turned inland, and so did the Olle trail, but we ended our hike on a point overlooking the sea. There were big smiles – another perfect day of hiking in Korea. The Olle trails far exceeded my expectations, and I can’t wait to go back to continue to explore further. Unfinished business!
That evening we celebrated by dining on Jeju black pork. We ordered a tonkatsu-style platter for two, but the slab of meat that came out of the kitchen was cafeteria-tray sized and would have easily fed a family of six. We ate until we were stuffed, took a box of leftovers, and still had to send some back.
Logistics
For general logistics regarding Jeju and the Olle trails, see part 1.
In Seogwipo we stayed at Euro House. The owners are very friendly and the hotel is well situated. Highly recommended.