Jeju Island is Korea’s vacation getaway place. This island off the south coast of Korea has sometimes been likened to Hawaii, and indeed there are some resemblances. Jeju Island has a big volcano at its center, and black lava flows come down its flanks to the shoreline. There are some beaches, but they are rare. Like Hawaii, Jeju isn’t exactly a well-kept secret, and tourism is a big industry. In fact, the world’s busiest air route is Seoul to Jeju. But Jeju isn’t really marketed to foreign tourists. This is where Koreans like to come for a little R&R.
We heard Jeju was a nice place, so we booked an eight-day stay. I had hoped to have a look around with our rental car, and maybe to walk some of the Olle trail system, which circles the island. We didn’t know what to expect – my expectations were not really high given the mass tourism situation. But what we found was an unspoiled coastline, interesting and varied trails, nice people, and great food. When we came to the end of our stay I didn’t want to leave – I wanted to keep going down the Olle trail, all the way around the island. So – unfinished business! I am hoping to go back soon to complete this wonderful hike.
We spent four nights on the north shore, near Hyeopjae Beach, and four nights on the south shore, on the outskirts of Seogwipo, near Beophwan Port.
Hyeopjae
We arrived on Jeju island in a raging storm, which continued unabated for several days. Luckily we had booked a spacious apartment with a view of the sea, so we did not feel cooped up. Wave after wave of rain passed by, pelting our windows horizontally.
In between waves of rain the clouds would lift a bit, and we could see a rainbow arc above the fishing village. Below us, traditional fisherman’s houses with green, blue, and red roofs were scattered about, separated by black lava-stone walls and tidy little gardens.
I watched the weather radar and spotted a gap between rain waves. We headed outside, to check out Hyeopjae Beach. Although the rain had let up, there was still a gale-force wind to contend with. But Hyeopjae Beach is beautiful – I can see why people say it’s the nicest beach on Jeju. Stretches of pale yellow sand project into an azure sea. The beach is broken up by jet-black lava flows.
We dined that evening on “Haenyeo soup”- a seafood soup with abalone, octopus, shrimp, and mussels. With a side of kimchi, of course. More about the Haenyeo later.
The next day we spotted a broader gap in the storm and walked the Olle trail east, to the larger town of Hallim. On the way we stopped by a restaurant in a fishing village for lunch. I ordered the cutlass-fish stew, which came in a peppery sauce with lots of vegetables. The sauce had a rich deep flavour and it was one of the tastiest things I ate on our trip. The cutlass fish was delicious as well, but very bony. I had heard that cutlass fish was a local specialty and I was happy I got a chance to try it. The stew came with lots of side dishes (banchan) and I ate until I was stuffed.
After lunch we hiked on to Hallim. Hallim itself is an unattractive, industrial port town. We stopped by the grocery store and picked up a few things. On the way out of the store we noticed a big tent where people were frying up fish. The people inside looked up when they spotted foreigners, they smiled, and waved us over. Then they sat us down and started feeding us pieces of fried cutlass fish. It was really good, but I was already stuffed with cutlass fish after lunch. We wanted to be polite, so we ate and made noises indicating we enjoyed the fish. More pieces of fish appeared, and more and more. The cooks in the back were having fun feeding us. After a while, they tried to give or sell us a package of fresh cutlass fish. At this point I got out my phone and popped up Google Translate. I tried to tell them that the fish was delicious, but we cannot cook the fish at our hotel. The people looked a bit sad but they understood. After extensive goodbyes we were on our way again. We were blown away how nice, friendly, and hospitable the Jeju people are.
That evening the clouds finally lifted and the winds quieted down.
The next morning the skies were clear, and we set out for our first proper Olle hike. We headed west, back over towards Hyeopjae, where we found several Dol Hareubang statues.
Dol Hareubang means Stone Grandfather. These statues are found al over Jeju Island. Their origin is shrouded in mystery even though the oldest of them are no more than a few hundred years old. Traditionally they were placed at village entrances to ward off evil spirits. Dol Hareubang are carved from porous black basalt. They have a round cap (the phallic shape is a symbol of fertility), bulbous eyes, and one shoulder higher than the other, causing the hands to be offset. I think they have a mischievous look to them.
We walked on down the coast, following the ribbons marking the Olle Trail.
Here is a view back to Lemain Hotel – the tall building in the distance. Our apartment was on the top floor.
A fisherman sits in front of his house.
We were headed through a village towards a point. Looking back we could see fresh snow on the summit of Mount Hallasan – Jeju’s main volcano.
Along the way were statues of Haenyeo divers. The Haenyeo are women, many of them in their 60s or older, some of them well into their 80s, who dive for seafood. They started doing this after WW2 when times were tough and food was needed. Over the years, the Haenyeo have kept up the tradition, continuing to breath-hold-dive when diving with scuba gear would be much more efficient. In each village the Haenyeo work collectively, going out together, looking after each other, and pooling their catch.
The Haenyeo are revered here in Jeju, and there are many murals and statues honoring them. I think it is their determination, their toughness, their pluckiness that inspires Koreans. The Haenyeo have been the subject of several books and documentaries in recent years, leading to global exposure.
A bit further up the coast we spotted Haenyeo at work. Each diver has an orange float, to which a basket is tethered which holds the catch.
At the point was a lighthouse. The colored markers indicate the Olle Trail. Blue is clockwise, orange is counterclockwise.
Past the point the trail went inland to avoid an apartment building complex and fish plant. It then led across a lava flow. There was a bit of stumbling here, given the large stones on the trail.
At the village of Wollyeong there was a boardwalk which made the going quite a bit easier.
Hiking through Wollyeong.
We hiked on towards the town of Panpo for a bit and then turned around and went back the way we came. Here is Diana at Hyeopjae Beach. By now the tide had ebbed and more sand was exposed.
For dinner we treated ourselves to lobster rolls. They are easily one of the tastiest things I’ve eaten in my life. We asked the owner where he sources his lobsters, and he said: Canada! Canadian lobster in the hands of a skilled Korean chef – oh my. Each bite was exquisite.
The end of a perfect day of hiking and eating.
Go to part two of our Jeju Island Olle trail hike.
Logistics
Jeju Island is south of the Korean mainland, northeast of Shanghai, and west of Kyushu Island, Japan.
Jeju Island is most easily reached from Seoul. There are flights every few minutes – I’m not kidding. You can also catch flights from other cities in South Korea, and from Osaka Japan. There is also a ferry from Busan.
We decided to self-drive, which is definitely doable. Koreans drive on the right, which helps. We rented through Lotte rent-a-car, which has an English website. We made a booking a long time prior to our arrival, and then rebooked last minute because prices had dropped significantly. Note that as a foreigner you are required to take out full insurance on the car.
For navigation we used the Korean app Naver Maps. Note that Google Maps doesn’t work very well in Korea because key features have been switched off for security reasons. Naver Maps works really well, and has decent English language support. As a bonus, the route guidance includes warnings at speed cameras (of which there are many in Korea) plus the Olle Trail is indicated on the maps as well.
There is a website with a lot of information on it to help you plan your trip. You can even download a trailguide here.
We stayed at Lemain Hotel in Hyeopjae. Recommended. It’s a nice new building with a contemporary style. Our apartment was spacious but a bit bare – some more furnishings would have been nice. There was a CU convenience store across the road. How convenient! Beside the store is a fruit vendor selling fresh local oranges. A bit further into the village is an excellent bakery.
We visited Jeju Island in December. It is definitely the off-season, but I think it is an ideal time of the year to hike the Olle trails. Temperatures are nice, lots of flowers are in bloom, and the oranges are in season. Plus there is heaps of availability of accommodations, and hotel prices are low that time of the year.