On my latest journey to Jeju, I spent a while in northwest Jeju’s Aewol and Hallim area, and whereas having lunch with my Korean pal at a restaurant positioned at Hallim Port, I seen a picturesque island within the distance. This little island was Biyangdo 비양도, the identical island I’d noticed at Hyeopjae and Geumneung Seaside the night time earlier than, and it seems the ferry terminal to Biyangdo was a stone’s throw from the place I used to be consuming.
So naturally I obtained curious and determined to go go to this tiny island and had a stunning morning exploring this island that’s so small, you may stroll round it in simply 1 hour. Right here’s my information on methods to go to Jeju’s Biyangdo with tips about methods to get there by yourself and issues to do on the island.
Somewhat about Biyangdo
Biyangdo is the youngest of Jeju’s volcanic islands, having exploded and appeared means again in 1002, which makes it about 1,000+ years previous. The island mainly consists of 1 giant hill within the center and black volcanic rock coast round it. To be fairly trustworthy by way of sights to see, there may be nothing notably uncommon about Biyangdo that makes it a must-see, however you do get some pretty views of Jeju island from it and it does make for a pleasant few hours of strolling and having fun with Jeju’s nature.
If you wish to try extra islands in Korea, head to Oedo Island should you’re within the south close to Busan, or possibly Odongdo if you’re in Jeollanam’s Yeosu?
The place is Biyangdo positioned?
Biyangdo is positioned off the northwest finish of Jeju near Hallim. It’s a definite scenic characteristic alongside the Aewol and Hallim shoreline, notably if you’re at Hyeopjae Seaside or Geumneung Seaside.
A word that there technically is multiple Biyangdo in Jeju – should you go to the offshore island of Udo on the east coast of Jeju, it’s related to a different even smaller island that’s additionally known as Biyangdo. Extra on that in my upcoming submit on Udo.
See Biyangdo location on Naver Maps
Find out how to get to Biyangdo
Biyangdo is a 15 minute ferry experience away from Hallim Harbour on the northwest aspect of Jeju, about an hour away from Jeju Metropolis and a brief distance north of Hyeopjae Seaside.
Purchase ferry tickets at Hallim Harbour
For those who’re taking the bus in Jeju, take blue bus 202 and cease at Hansuri 한수리 [Naver Maps] – it’s a fairly small quiet village that makes you’re feeling such as you’re in the midst of nowhere. From there it’s a 5 minute stroll in direction of the water the place you will discover Hallim Harbour 한림항도선대합실 hanlim hangdoseondaehabsil [Naver Maps]. Alternatively, you may drive and park at Hallim Harbour.
There are two ferry firms promoting tickets to Biyangdo. The costs are the identical (9000 KRW for a round-trip ticket) and the counters are proper subsequent to one another. I recommend you simply decide whichever timing works finest for you. Whatever the firm you decide, you continue to have to replenish the identical types within the ticket workplace, only a matter of the place you pay at.
You purchase your ferry tickets on the day itself. Carry alongside your passport to indicate on the window and replenish a passenger card indicating your private particulars and the ferry instances that you simply need to e book on your journey.
Ferry from Hallim Port to Biyangdo
There are a few seats outdoors the ticket workplace to attend round, or you may go chill on the eateries or cafes within the neighborhood, simply be again 20-Half-hour earlier than. They allow us to board the ship early, so I headed to the higher deck to snag a great seat. Sit on the proper aspect of the boat in order for you a pleasant view of Biyangdo as you strategy the island. The boat experience takes simply quarter-hour anyway…
Issues to do on Biyangdo
In a short time I discovered myself disembarking at Biyangdo port on the southern finish of the island. You mainly have 3 choices on issues to do on Biyangdo. I’ve marked a few of them out on the map however right here’s a run down and my suggestions.
See Biyangdo port location on Naver Maps.
Stroll across the island by the Coastal Path
Most individuals made a beeline in direction of the height path (most likely to keep away from the warmth later within the morning), so I made a decision to take a stroll across the island first. There’s a well-paved street that circles the island which is usually flat and gives pretty coastal views. In case you are fortunate, you would possibly spot some haenyeo (Jeju’s well-known ladies divers) at work off the coast, or fishermen reeling of their traces.
This coastal path ought to take you about an hour to stroll at a snug tempo. There are retailers the place you may hire bicycles from retailers across the port should you actually need to zip across the island.
There may be additionally a listing of ‘important rocks’ that may be discovered round Biyangdo. I personally don’t suppose any of them had been that convincing, however in case you have an interest, this explicit hornito (hole chimney-like rock constructions fashioned when escaping lava cools shortly) within the northeast that appears like a mom with a child on her again has been designated a nationwide treaure: Pure Monument No. 439.
Climb to the highest of Biyangbong 비양봉
Biyangbong is 114m tall and you’ll scale as much as its peak to benefit from the view of the volcanic crater and the encompassing coast. There are 2 entrances to the height path – 1 from close to the port within the south, and one other on the southwest aspect of the island. They each result in the identical stairway that you should climb to get to the height. It took me slightly below half an hour to get to the lighthouse proper on the prime, and that concerned a fairly sluggish climb and plenty of picture taking alongside the way in which.
See Biyangbong location on Naver Maps
Biyangdo Lighthouse 비양도 등대
The viewing platform isn’t fairly the highest of Biyangbong. There may be nonetheless one final stretch to climb to get to the Biyangdo Lighthouse (비양도 등대 biyangdo deungdae). This path is unpaved however strengthened for some tread as a result of that incline is fairly rattling steep – I’ve determined from all of the slopes I’ve climbed in Korea that the locals simply don’t consider in switchbacks.
Eat at Biyangdo village
In any case that strolling and climbing, I used to be positively within the temper for one thing to eat. There’s a small village space within the south of the island close to the port the place there are a handful of eateries and cafes. Apparently Biyangdo was identified to have simply 2 eating places up to now, however now they’ve extra choices.
Bomal Iyagi 보말이야기
Jeju is legendary for recent seafood, in order that’s what you get right here. Bomal Iyagi specialises in Bomal or conch, one of many must-eat meals in Jeju. You possibly can order it in numerous types right here – bomal kalguksu 보말칼국수 (with noodles), bomal jeon 보말전 (fried in a pancake), bomal barley bibimbab 보말보리비빔밥 (blended with barley rice) – I selected to get mine in rice porridge aka bomal juk 보말죽 aka conch porridge. It’s fairly much like Jeonbokjuk (abalone porridge), however it was heat, hearty and felt like a pleasant residence cooked meal.
See Bomal Iyagi location and menu on Naver Maps. Open 8am – 6pm.
쉼그대머물다 Cafe (swimgeudaemeomulda)
I nonetheless had time to kill after lunch, so I walked again to this newish cafe that I noticed alongside the coastal path to get a drink. The title of the cafe interprets to one thing like ‘Keep Nonetheless Cafe‘ and it was nice as a result of it was air-conditioned so I might get out of the solar for a bit and luxuriate in a flowery drink. The signature dessert right here is mugwort which isn’t my factor so I had a refreshing grapefruit ade as a substitute for six,000 KRW.
See Keep Nonetheless Cafe location and menu on Naver Maps. Open 9am to 4pm on weekdays, to 9pm on Friday and weekends.
Bonus: Eat at Hallim Harbour
For those who’re planning to go to Biyangdo within the afternoon or are nonetheless hungry after you come from Biyangdo, there are some respectable spots to eat close to Hallim Port as properly.
Hallim Sea Pollack Village Restaurant 한림바다생태체험마을
This seafood restaurant close to the port is the place I used to be having lunch with my Korean pal once I found I might go to Biyangdo. We visited so I might try the speciality Jeju seafood – the restaurant has a particular seafood set made well-known by a previous president who apparently actually preferred it. We ordered it (70,000 KRW for a small set) and man it was numerous meals for two pax!
The primary course is mainly all of the starters – seafood contains tremendous recent mackerel sashimi, sushi, abalone and conch (a should eat in Jeju), deep fried prawns and a soup.
Half 2 was a whole gravy slathered fish. Very yummy however man I used to be utterly stuffed simply from the starters alone.
Hallim Sea Pollack Village Restaurant 한림바다생태체험마을 hanlim badasaengtaecheheomma-eul – See location and menu on Naver Maps. Closed on Wednesdays, Open for lunch and dinner 11am – 9pm (break 4-5pm, final order at 8pm)
Egg in Sundown cafe
We took a stroll north up the coast to discover a cafe to relax at after that tremendous filling lunch and located this cute little place known as Egg in Sundown Cafe. It’s both very new or not listed in Naver Maps because it’s a part of this homestay known as Some Keep 썸스테이, however it’s obtained a pleasant view of the coast and was very chill.
See extra data about Some Keep 썸스테이 on Naver Maps.
I like to recommend spending a morning right here, after which testing the remainder of the Hallim space later within the afternoon. Preserve heading west alongside the coast (hop on the blue 202 bus for the most affordable possibility!) to get to Hyeopjae Seaside and Geumneung Seaside, in addition to the Hallim Park botanical gardens with its well-known lava tube caves. Learn extra about northwest Jeju.
On the lookout for extra posts on Jeju? Try my newest posts or see all posts on South Korea.
