10 Best Islands in Korea
What are the Most Beautiful Islands to Visit in Korea?
The best islands in Korea offer dramatic coastlines, clear-water beaches and freshly caught seafood prepared with local flavours. The Korean islands number over 3,000, and many of them are contained within protected national parks, valued for their stunning landscapes and ecological diversity. The country’s highest peak, Mount Hallasan, rises tall in the centre of popular Jeju Island.
There are many ways of exploring the best islands in Korea, whether by boat or bicycle or on your own 2 feet. With hiking being the country’s national pastime, trails are well-kept and often lead to the best views. Read on for our guide to the treasure trove of beautiful Korean islands.
1. Jeju Island
One-of-a-kind experiences at this ever-popular vacation spot
Ideal para: Aventura, Alimentação
One of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, Jeju Island is home to more than 400 km of hiking trails through spectacular volcanic landscapes. Traditional culture thrives on Korea’s largest island, which has been inhabited for thousands of years. It also boasts one of East Asia’s most coveted cuts of meat: the rich, fatty Jeju black pork, produced exclusively here.
The dormant volcano Hallasan, South Korea’s highest peak, dominates the island’s centre, encircled by a national park that blushes magenta with spring azaleas and burns warm orange hues in autumn. Count Seongsan Ilchulbon among Jeju’s must-see natural spectacles: this 600-metre-wide moss-green crater, with a rim that rises like castle walls, offers a sunrise view like none other.
Jeju Island
2. Geoje
Scenic trails through the pines
Ideal para: Aventura, Alimentação
Geoje is one of South Korea’s largest and most photogenic islands, and it’s threaded with trails in dense pine forests and along the rocky coast. The Haegeumgang cliffs, towering sea stacks that shoot up almost vertically from the sea, are a major draw. The best way to see them is to board one of the daily ferry cruises, which wind along the coastline and dip between the narrow cliffs into Shipagul Cave. Many also have a stopover at the botanical garden on neighbouring Oedo Island.
A working-class island, Geoje is a hub for the shipbuilding and fishing industries. Head to the markets to shop with the locals and try the seafood stews that are the fishers’ daily fare.
Geoje
3. Hongdo
Otherworldly rocky landscapes
Ideal para: Aventura, Famílias, Casais
Hongdo is a gem among the 1,700 islands in the vast Dadohae Haesang National Park. One of Korea’s most petite islands, it comes in at just 6 sq km but draws visitors nevertheless with its rugged, rocky coastline. It’s only accessible via a 2-and-a-half-hour ferry from the island of Mokpo, which means it sees relatively few visitors. Ferries depart twice daily, in the morning and evening.
The island is best viewed from the water, and regular boat tours steer visitors beneath massive stone archways and between jagged rocks rising like termite hills. Designated a protected area for its ecological significance, Hongdo provides a habitat for hundreds of species of birds, reptiles, and mammals.
Hongdo
4. Oedo Island
Home to romantic European-style gardens
Ideal para: Casais, Foto
Oedo Island is a peculiar sight in the South Sea. The island is almost entirely occupied by a botanical garden populated with exotic plants, topiary trimmed into fanciful shapes and European-style sculptures and architecture. The terraced gardens have been a popular domestic tourist spot since their establishment in the 1970s and are an oft-used location for photoshoots and Korean dramas.
Most visitors spend a couple of hours wandering the gardens, which are divided by theme, like the English-style Rose Garden. The meticulously sculpted Venus Garden is modelled after the gardens at Versailles. There are a staggering 3,000 plant species in Oedo Botanica, which displays its most vibrant colours in spring and autumn.
Oedo Island
5. Udo
Beach hopping at its finest
Ideal para: Aventura, Casais
A 15-minute ferry ride from Jeju, little Udo is a great beach day getaway. Seobin Beach is one of the country’s most dazzling, with clear waters gliding over bright white sands. An unusual phenomenon occurs here: the ocean’s hue changes dramatically depending on its depth, resulting in a soft seafoam green that drops suddenly to deep sapphire. Also on the island are a volcanic black sand beach and a beach covered in popcorn-like white pebbles.
Bike rentals are a great way to hop from beach to beach and explore the island at your own pace. Make sure to stop at roadside stands to taste local specialities like freshly squeezed tangerine juice and peanut ice cream.
Udo
6. Jindo Island
An infamous seasonal miracle
Ideal para: Aventura, Famílias
Jindo Island has 2 claims to fame. The first is a natural event called the Jindo Sea Parting, a tidal phenomenon in which a 2.8-km path between Jindo and neighbouring Modo Island reveals itself 2 or 3 times each year as the sea recedes around it. Also referred to as the Miracle Sea Road and the Moses Miracle, the event has inspired local legends and draws massive crowds for its festival each spring.
The second thing any Korean can tell you about Jindo is its namesake breed of dog. The famous Jindo dog is known for its loyalty, intelligence and exceptional homing instinct, and just about every islander has a story to tell about their family’s dog.
Jindo Island
7. Ulleungdo
Hiking and snorkelling off the beaten track
Ideal para: Aventura, Foto
Accessible only by a 4-hour ferry ride from the mainland, the remote Ulleungdo is enchanting. The island’s steep cliffs, deep waters and thick primaeval forests imbue it with an air of mystery. The Haengnam Coastal Walking Path is an easy path tracing the island’s periphery with impressive views of the cliffs. For a more challenging trek, head inland to hike up to Seonginbong Peak, the island’s highest point.
Experienced snorkellers will find Ulleungdo has much to offer, with beaches dropping off quickly to deep waters teeming with corals and marine life. Hakpo Beach, bordered on both ends by cliffs, typically offers calm waters in which to explore.
Ulleungdo
8. Muuido
Relaxation in a beachside bungalow
Ideal para: Aventura, Famílias
Within reach of Seoul, Muuido is a favourite day trip for urbanites craving sun and sand. This is one of the few islands accessible without boarding a ferry, and buses to the island depart from Unseo Subway Station, about an hour west of Seoul.
Most visitors gather at Hanagae Beach, a 1-km stretch of fine sand backed by rust-toned cliffs and dense greenery. The shallow waters make this beach well-suited for swimming. In the afternoon, the tide swiftly drags the ocean far from the shoreline, revealing a wide expanse of mud flats full of conch shells and scuttling crabs. The beach is lined with turquoise- and coral-coloured bungalows, available for day or weekend rentals.
Muuido
9. Gwanmaedo, South Jeolla Province
For a taste of slow-paced island life
Ideal para: Aventura, Foto
Gwanmaedo, located in a huge cluster of islands in Dadohae Haesang National Park off the southeastern coast, is an ideal destination for nature enthusiasts. Its relatively remote location means fewer fellow tourists and more room to explore the island’s beaches, black pine forests and rocky sea cliffs. Its main beach is a wide expanse of soft sand with panoramic views of the coast. Adjacent to the beach is a campsite used by local backpackers.
The island has some 300 residents living in 3 villages. The villages offer a glimpse of traditional island life, and friendly inhabitants are happy to share local dishes, prepared with freshly caught seafood.
Gwanmaedo, South Jeolla Province
10. Seonyudo, Seoul
A charming riverside park
Ideal para: Casais, Foto
Seonyudo Island in Seoul, not to be confused with the island of the same name off the coast of Gunsan, is a tranquil oasis in the bustling city. Just south of the neon-lit streets of Hongdae, the small island on the Han River has scenic walking paths through verdant gardens with river views. Known for its eco-friendly design, the island’s facilities are powered by renewable energy sources.
Cross to the island on the picturesque wooden footbridge that has become its symbol. Stroll along the waterfront promenades, savour a picnic on the lawn and admire the flowering plants and trees before you venture back into the glowing city.
Seonyudo, Seoul
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