Driven by the Seoul winter, we went south to spend February in Yeosu city (여수) in Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla Province).
We pictured a warm and sunny south sea, eating Jeolla-do’s (전라도) well known regional food like gat kimchi (mustard green kimchi), grilled or raw fish, and island hopping a few of its 317 islands. However, February in Yeosu was still rainy and windy, so I recommend visiting in spring. But we did get some very nice warm and sunny days anyway.
We took the bus from Seoul to Yeosu, arriving in an old station. This was a stark contrast to the other modern parts of Yeosu, known for its 2012 World Expo. Arriving by train could be a better option, as it brings you straight into the port. From the bus terminal we made our way to a corridor of the peninsula with colorful hillside villages and a large traditional market. During my stay in Yeosu, I came to enjoy the compact and intimate atmosphere of this south seaside city.
If you only have 1 day to visit Yeosu, here are some recommendations.
What to see:
Night: Yeosu is famous for its night scenery, bridges, and pochas.
- Cable car to Dolsan Park (돌산공원). If you go at sunset you can enjoy that beautiful sky transformation. Have a leisurely stroll around Dolsan Park and watch the Dolsan Bridge change colors at night. You can even connect to the car’s bluetooth system to listen to music during your ride.
- Nangman Pochas (낭만포차). Another top attraction are the Nangman Pochas near Jongpo Park. The ones under the Turtle Ship Bridge are fun to walk through and are not far from Yi Sun Shin Square.
Day: Yeosu is famous for its islands, parks, and beaches.
- Yi Sun Shin Square (이순신광장). With a large statue of the national hero Admiral Yi, you can tour inside a small replica ofthe famous turtle ship / Geobukseon (거북선) that Admiral Yi used to win significant naval battles in the Imjin War (1592-1598).
What to eat: Right next to the Yi Sun Shin Square you can buy Mugwort Choco Pie and Mugwort Ice Cream. Even though I have had a lot of choco pies in my days, especially when visiting my great grandma’s house on the holidays, when I bit into my first mugwort choco pie it became **my first choco pie ever. It’s that good. The bread is moist and savory, meanwhile the cream center its dense, rich, and just sweet enough that it doesn’t overpower the earthy mugwort flavor. Even though you will see long lines of people waiting for the strawberry mochi, in my opinion the Mugwort Choco Pie is more unique and tasty. The only downside is you have to buy a pack of 6 choco pie, and while you can store it for a week in the fridge, the bread loses its fresh softness if you do this. This treat is to be eaten immediately after purchase. I would venture to eat 2-3 in a day.
2. Islands: For a day visit, you can check out the quaint Odongdo Island (오동도) or Jangdo Island (장도). Odongdo can be easily accessed from the Expo area. As Korea’s southern islands are known for the flowers Dongbaek 동백꽃 (Camilla flower), you can enjoy a stroll through the Dongbaek forest and visit the observatory and a dragon cave. Jangdo is not in the immediate vicinity of the harbor, but it’s near enough and worth a visit for its great views of the bay and a 270 degree panorama of Yeosu’s islands. I enjoyed walking through its pine trees, plum blossom trees, and resting on its swing benches. There is also a modern art gallery with a cafe, and art installations.
3. Angel Alley (천사벽화마을) is a small mural village much like those of Tongyong or Gamcheon in Busan. It’s close to the main harbor so you can walk through it in 30 minutes.
4. Namsan Park (남산공원) is easy to get to and offers ocean views from Yeosu. Whereas Dolsan Park will give you mainland views of Yeosu city. *Both are pretty though.
5. Beaches
Manseongri (만성리) Beach is the inspiration for the famous song, “Yeosu Night Sea.” There you will find sea ducks, pochas and…you guessed it, black sand. This is a good one to check out, but to spend more time, I preferred Mosageum Beach which is just a few kilometers north.
Mosageum Beach (모사금해수욕장) has shallow waters, a sandy beach, and a boardwalk over the rocky terrain leading to a smaller pebble beach. There are also a few cafes right by the shore if you want a fancy beverage. It’s a nice beach to spend an hour or two exploring, or if you have the luxury of time, bring your swimsuit, beach towel, and a book to read on a warm day. Along with Hyangiram Hermitage, Mosageum Beach is a great spot to watch the sunrise. On the bus ride there (or car if you’re more prepared), you will spot some cute pink roof houses.
If you have 2 days in Yeosu, check out Hyangiram Hermitage (향일암) on Dolsan Island, known in Korea as the best for your prayer or wish to be heard. It’s a 1,400 year old hermitage that is harmoniously built into the large boulders of the island and on top of Mount Geumo, or Iron Turtle Mountain. (The turtle seems to be a recurring animal in Yeosu.) Its surrounding village is also an enjoyable walk through on the way down to the main road.
If you have 3 days in Yeosu, check out Geumodo island (금오도). It has beautiful cliffside hiking courses called ‘Bileong-gil’ overlooking emerald water. ‘Bileong’ comes from the Yeosu dialect, meaning cliff. I recommend courses 1 and 3 if you are only there for 1-2 days. If you wish to do the entire route, it’s 18.5 km. (Some people do this in a day but you need a sunrise start.)
You can arrive to Geumodo by a short ferry ride from Dolsan Island. However, once there, you will need to rely on taxis. In the case of the pension we stayed at, the owner offered a ride service from the hiking course end points for roughly 10,000 KRW. We opted to rent a car for our island explorations. Doing so allowed us to check out the much smaller neighboring island, Ando. There’s an interesting pedestrian bridge there, and a vacated but beautiful sandy beach.
Of course if you have more time, there are many more interesting islands to check out in Yeosu and Jeollanam-do!
