Seongsan Ilchulbong Marine Provincial Park — Attraction in Seogwipo-si

Main objective coming here was to see the haenyeos (women divers) at 2pm. However apparently due to high tide it was cancelled. There was no announcement, just a small little A4 paper posted on the restaurant door.

There were a couple of the ladies selling seafood. My mum observed one gladly taking pictures with some Caucasian tourists. When i translated and respectfully asked in Korean if my mum could take a photo with them, the lady had a sour expression and shook her head. While we respect her right to reject us, the contrast in her response just didn’t sit right with us.

Apart from that, the area was lovely. There’s a free, short trail on the left side overlooking the beach. The black sand beach was also nice to just walk about. Sadly there was some rubbish...

The most prominent must-go-to place in Jeju Island is Seongsan Ilchulbong (also known as Sunrise Peak) which is located on the bottom left of the Island map (Seogwipo area). The area is really well maintained and clean as heck! Not allowed to bring food up to the peak and tickets must be bought to enter the World Heritage Walk. Definitely a must visit for first timers in Jeju Island! My friends and I took a direct bus from Jeju Bus Terminal! If you worry about food, the area has a lot of restaurants and fast food outlets such as "Paik Coffee" and "Dunkin Donuts". You must drink the orange juices over there. 2 types (Hallabong which is sweet) and (Your normal orange juice) and their orange ice cream too! Toilets available near the side...

I didn’t enter the paid section, but the views from the free area were already legendary. In April, the sea breeze was strong and the weather quite cold, so make sure to bring a jacket. Although I missed the haenyeo performance, the ocean view was stunning, with deep, jelly-like blue water. It’s quite a journey from the city centre, around one to two hours by bus, but the scenery makes it totally worth it. Next time, I’d love to stay overnight and explore the paid trail. Getting back can be tricky as the bus schedule is hard to predict. I’d recommend leaving before it gets too late, as it can be difficult to find a taxi and you might struggle to return...