10 Best Beaches on Jeju Island

Located in Hallim-eup in the west part of Jeju Island, Hyeopjae Beach is where the beautiful sea and thickly wooded pine forest achieve great harmony. It is where black basalt rocks scattered throughout the white sandy beach mixed with clamshells form a nice contrast and the gorgeous jade green-coloured sea stretches out in front of you. Behind the beach lies a pine forest. Because of the shallow depth and gradual slope, many families come here to enjoy playing in the water. The beach is also equipped with various convenience facilities including locker rooms, shower booths, restaurants and cafes, and the pine forest at the back is a great place for camping.

You can see Biyangdo Island off into the sea and, during sunset, a combination of the sun falling over the island and the sea displays quite a spectacle. Neighbouring Geumneung Eutteumwon Beach to the south, these two beaches are regarded as twin beaches. You can also check out other nearby attractions such as Hallim Park, Geumneung Stone Park and Wollyeong Cactus Colony.

Located on Jeju Olle Course 19, Hamdeok Beach is well-known for its clear, blue water. Because there is an oreum called Seoubong Peak right next to the beach, it is also known as “Hamdeok Seoubong Beach.” The beach boasts exotic scenery featuring tall palm trees, white sandy beach and the contrasting jade-coloured sea, clear water through which you can even see the ocean floor, and white waves of foam. Walking over the overpass connected west of the beach makes you feel as if you are walking over the sea.

Seoubong Peak, seated next to the beach, is coloured yellow in spring by canola flowers and green in summer, allowing visitors to enjoy different views from one season to the next. Once you climb up Seoubong Peak, you will be able to get a complete view of Hamdeok Beach and, even, Hallasan Mountain and oreum in the east if the weather is nice, so stop by to appreciate Jeju’s nature in one place.

Yongmeori Coast is located on the way from the foot of Sanbangsan Mountain to the seaside and, here, you can see a majestic rock face that resembles the head of a dragon about to dive into the sea. The rock face, which was formed as a result of millions of years of sedimentation, remains today as a strange-shaped cliff as it has been carved and sharpened by waves. The way 30- to 50-metre tall cliffs continuously wind along the coast displays a unique atmosphere. As you walk along the rock face, you will see haenyeo setting up stands by the sea and selling freshly caught seafood.

Hamel Monument stands by the entrance of the beach, which commemorates the arrival of Hamel, a Dutch seaman, to Jeju after his ship was destroyed in the sea. It takes about 30 minutes to tour all of Yongmeori Beach but access to the beach is prohibited during inclement weather or at high tide, so we recommend you to check the hours of operation before you visit.

Woljeongni Beach of Jeju Island is a beach as beautiful as a landscape painting where you can enjoy lyricism and romance. Being well-known for its incredible scenery, the gorgeous emerald-coloured sea and white sandy beach are impressive. With a small cafe street lined around the wide sandy beach, this is a great place to travel with family or go on a date with a lover.

Colourful parasols stand in the white sandy beach and, in the distance, an exotic scene of wind power generators rotating in a seemingly relaxed manner grabs your attention. In Woljeong-ri, you can easily find not only those who are fully enjoying the sea but also avid photographers who attempt to capture the beautiful scenes and moments of Jeju with their cameras. In addition, Woljeongni Beach sees continuous waves at consistent heights, which is great for surfing as well as many other marine leisure sports such as snorkelling and kayaking.

Jungmun Beach is one of the more representative beaches of Jeju with a coastal landscape of mystic sand and exotic palm trees. The beach starts from Jungmun Tourist Complex and is located near Cheonjeyeon Waterfalls and Daepo Jusangjeolli Cliff, and attracts a huge crowd who come to enjoy marine leisure sports every year. The beach is known for being curved like a bow as well as the type of sand called “Jinmosal” that displays the 4 different colours of black, white, red and grey. Thanks to such sand with a mixture of diverse colours, the colour of the beach changes depending on the direction from which the sun shines. To the right of the beach, a seaside cliff that stands like a folding screen has an approx.15-metre-long natural cave and rare plants grow along the cliff, which makes it a great place to check out the ecology of Jeju Island.

Recently, it is becoming more and more popular among surfers because waves are higher and more frequent than other beaches. From parasailing, water skiing and windsurfing to scuba diving, rafting and yacht tours, various marine leisure sports allow you to enjoy more dynamic activities. Feel the waves of Jungmun Beach and savour every moment of your vacation.

Gwakji Beach is a pleasant place featuring a vast sandy beach surrounded by hills and a village, clear and blue water, and a smooth coastline. Thanks to a shallow depth and gradual slope, it is the perfect beach to play in the water. A youth training centre is also located here and the beach attracts many group tourists who come for vacation.

The famous Gwamul open-air public bath is located at one side of the beach and at low tide, cold spring water gushes out from the bath area. After playing in the seawater, wash your body with spring water in what looks like a small castle surrounded by stone walls. You will be able to instantly crush the summer heat. In addition to Gwakji Beach, we also recommend visiting nearby Wolmyeongsa Temple or drive along the coastal road to check out uniquely shaped volcanic cliffs.

Geumneung Eutteumwon Beach meets all the criteria for a great beach to visit with children. The shallow depth of the beach offers clear water through which you can see the ocean floor. After playing in the water all day, enjoy a hot shower on the beach. A good time to visit the beach is at low tide when the water recedes. Low tide reveals a broad, soft sandy beach to appear and creates a natural pool that is great for children to play in.

The beach connects to Hyeopjae Beach to the east but is less crowded than its neighbour so you can enjoy the beautiful beach in a tranquil, relaxing manner, which is a strength of Geumneung Eutteumwon Beach. The island seen over the waters is Biyangdo, which is a volcanic island home to around 200 residents and that belongs to Hyeopjae-ri. The island, already famous for sea fishing enthusiasts and scuba diving lovers, can be reached in just 20 minutes.

Pyoseon Haebichi Beach whose name means, “The sun shines,” in Korean is famous for its beautiful sunrise. A great crowd gathers for every New Year's day to see the rising sun head on. Once the water recedes from the beach, a round sandy beach appears and, once the water comes back in, it forms a circular lake with a depth of about 1 metre, so you may experience completely different vibes depending on the hour you visit. The really fine and soft white sand here is known to be effective for neuralgia.

Every August, this beautiful beach hosts the Pyoseon Beach Whitesand Festival. It is a famous festival in which the vast white sand, local specialties and Jeju's traditional culture form great harmony. The beach also features a children's pool, water guns, folk experience, performances and many other jam-packed programs, so make sure to stop by if you have time.

Sanhosa Beach is a 350-metre-long beach located on the west side of Udo Island and is known for its beautiful white sand called “Seobin Baeksa.” The sand here contains Hongjo, a type of seaweed, washed ashore and deposited in a unique way, so people call this beach Hongjodangoe Coral Sand Beach. This type of beach is extremely rare even internationally and, thus, it is being protected as a designated natural monument.

The sea, which gives off different colours depending on the depth of water, is comparable to any beach around the world. Many people visit this beach for sea bathing in summer and to take cool pictures in spring and autumn. Nearby, there are shops selling ice cream with Udo peanuts and numerous delicious restaurants where you can enjoy tasty food while looking out onto the sea. Spend a relaxing time by the beautiful beach over local delicacies.

Hahyo Soesokkak Beach has many different things to enjoy and is known for the beauty of peeking at hidden gems. At Soesokkak Beach where Hyodoncheon Stream, which is registered as a UNESCO biosphere reserve, and a black sandy beach meet, a variety of marine leisure sports from Teu and kayaking to jet boating, water biking and pedal boating are available for you to enjoy. As it came to be a part of Jeju Olle Course 6, it has become more pleasant to walk along the beach and enjoy the beautiful scenery, and convenience facilities and trails have been set up in the surroundings for visitors.

The Soesokkak Black Sand Festival, held every summer, offers a variety of events such as the ecological exploration of Hyodoncheon Stream, singing contest and survival swim competition, providing you with a jam-packed exciting day. A festival enjoyed in the midst of Jeju's magnificent views will be a special experience that you remember for the rest of your life.