Essential Jeju-do: activities on Korea’s tropical island
With easy to access dormant volcanoes, hearty seaside fare and a panoply of hiking trails that redefine contemporary notions of exploration, Jeju Island has much to offer the modern day adventurer seeking challenge, delight and cause to reflect.
There’s an array of choices, thanks to a bounty of natural treasures and a seemingly unstoppable train of commercial development, so making a checklist of priorities can seem overwhelming.
Here is our list of recommended destinations and local food that deliver the essential Jeju-do experience.
1. Climb a volcano
Wake up 90 minutes before dawn and follow the path to the peak of Seongsan Ilchul-bong, a dormant volcano on the east coast of Jeju.
Most people complete the steep 182-meter hike in about 25 minutes. Once at the top, grab a seat on the crater ridge, watch the sunrise and ponder the majesty of nature.
2. Walk Olle
Perhaps the best way to explore rural Jeju is to walk any of the Olle trails. In traditional Jeju dialect, Olle is the narrow path running from one’s front door to the street. Today, Olle refers to an integrated network of 26 well-marked hiking paths that spider across the island.
Trail lengths vary between seven and 23 kilometers long, each offering an up-close connection with the land and people. Stroll farm roads trimmed by tangerine orchards, zigzag through narrow alleys passing humble homes with straw-thatched roofs and traverse rocky coastlines carved out of black lava rock.
3. Sunset on Hyeopjae Beach
With cobalt seas rippling alongside nine kilometers of soft white sand intermittently spliced by fingers of black lava rock, Hyeopjae in Hallim Village is arguably Jeju’s most scenic beach. Sure it’s a busy place in the summer, when families come to frolic in the waist-deep water, but it’s pretty quiet the rest of year. The real charm of this place, however, appears at dusk. Hugging the northwest corner of the island, it’s an ideal location to be still and admire the sunset.
4. Take the Halla Mountain challenge
Visible from every corner of the island when skies are clear, majestic Halla Mountain beckons.
Though not everyone might be equipped to challenge the 1950m summit via a 9km (five hours one-way) hike, there are less demanding trail options (ranging from 30 minutes to 3.5 hours) that deliver the Halla experience. Expect magnificent foliage, awe inspiring rock formations and hordes of fashionable hikers sporting the absolute latest in alpine gear.
5. Savour the simple fare
Jeju's food is mightily influenced by flavors from the sea, like haemul tang, a humble hot pot filled with shrimp, crab, clams and a host of delicious fish in a semi-clear seafood broth.
Local variations supplement the color and taste with scrumptious specialties like squash or seaweed. Served with seasonal vegetables and a bowl of rice, it’s eaten for lunch or dinner but even makes a hearty breakfast.
6. Stroll Lee Jung-Seop art street in Seogwipo
There’s an artistic zeitgeist on Jeju that’s quite apart from anything on the Korean mainland. Architecturally, this arty trend is evident in the use of pastel colors, asymmetrical lines and a considerable reliance on floor-to-ceiling glass walls that allow a connection with the beautiful natural environment. Artistically, that sensibility comes alive on Seogwipo’s Lee Jung-Seop Art Gallery & Park, an arty neighborhood packed with craft shops, chilled-out beer bars and Bauhaus-styled restaurants. Not to be missed is Architecture Cafe Utopia, an inspired multi-level complex that’s equal parts coffee shop, beer bar, art gallery and tree fort.
7. Meet Buddha in a cave in Sagae
Enlightenment doesn’t come easy. That’s the lesson to learn on a trip to Sanbang-gul-sa, a tiny but thoroughly intriguing Buddhist temple in the town of Sagye-ri on the island’s southwest corner.
From the town center, it’s a 2km walk to the base of Sanbang-san, an enormous rock formation jutting out of the earth, and another 150m up steep stairs that eventually lead to a cave housing a Buddha statue.