VISIT JEJU

As you walk along Olle Route 14 through Wollyeong Port, you will see murals painted on the walls of the village to welcome visitors. Continue walking along the coastal road after passing this area, which is also the entrance to the cactus village, then you will see prickly pear cacti growing between the sea sand and basalt.

Rocks, sand, and prickly pear cacti that settled in this barren land, hit by the rough, salty sea breeze. These cacti, so small in size that they looked as if they will perish soon, took root with powerful vitality, and now form the only wild cactus colony in Korea. Prickly pear cacti in Jeju are definitely small giants. And with its value recognized, it is now designated as Natural Monument No. 429 of Korea.

The cactus village in Wollyeong-ri is a quiet, small town where tourists and plants mingle, but its vitality resembles that of the prickly pear cacti. Following the wisdom of the village elders, the village pioneered a variety of ways to utilize the cacti, such as making and selling healthy products using the purple cactus fruit and providing tourists with the opportunity to try them.

The vitality of the cactus village can also be found in the house where Jin A-young, a victim of the Jeju April 3rd Incident, widely known as Cotton Granny, spent her life. Cotton Granny has lived fiercely amid the veil of the dark past. Anyone can visit and take a look around her house where her things are kept as they were. It would be nice to have a time of remembrance for the victims of the Jeju April 3 Incident while looking back on the pain and sorrow that the incident has left.

The wind turbines, which were seen far from the cactus village promenade, become even more phenomenal to greet people as they descend along the coastal road to the south of Seogwipo. These gigantic white structures lined up in a row on the open sea create an exotic atmosphere, with their wings flapping vigorously during the day and mingling with the flickering lights of the small cuttlefish ships at night. That is what makes the tourists stop and enjoy the view here.

There are many eye-catching sceneries on Yongsu-ri Coastal Road. The bank at Panpo Port offers a great shelter for the sea-bathers that come to keep off the heat in the summer. Once you walk past the small town of Dumo-ri on the coastal road, the beach full of black basalt unfolds before your eyes. There, you can embrace the cool sea breeze and even walk up to some wind turbines and look up at the spinning blades.

If you are moving northward along Yongsu-ri Coastal Road, from Seogwipo to Jeju, the open view of Chagwido Island beyond the horizon and the dock of Yongsu-ri Port will make you feel refreshed. The rippling coast is as close to the road as an arm's reach, and you can see the aquafarms with fry and moored boats. Unlike the view of the wind turbines as you travel southward, you will see the ones set up inland first.

Yongsu-ri Coastal Road is an important road that connects the western Jeju with the western Seogwipo. Also, it’s where you can encounter the beautiful Jeju sea and the magnificence of white giants. If you are up to take some time to carefully absorb the charm of Jeju, we recommend that you travel along Yongsu-ri Coastal Road, feeling the brisk sea breeze.

Singgyemul Park, which can be reached by driving along the Yongsu-ri Coastal Road, is a famous attraction with a history of being selected as one of the hidden scenic spots of Jeju-si. Also known as the Sinchang Windmill Coast, there are wind turbines that look over the coast, a pavilion in the center of the park, and a bridge that crosses the sea, providing a perfect view to make lovely memories with your loved one or to take pictures.

Singgyemul, meaning newly found tidewater, is a place where you can see spring water gushing out from the ground. The site of the old public bathhouse still remains to this day. The bath that is closer to the entrance is for women and the one located further inside is for men. During the hot summer, you will find people dipping their feet in the cold spring water to cool off.

In addition, you can find a statue symbolizing the Jeju diving women (haenyeo), a lotus pond, chairs surrounding a stone engraved with paintings, and acupressure gravel paths in the park. The gravel path leads to the public bathhouse and the pavilion, so after soaking your feet in the spring water, letting your feet rest would be a nice option.

On the other side of the park is a bridge that leads to the middle of the sea. Walking down the long bridge along the row of wind turbines, you will find the huge fish sculpture called Jabarisang in the middle of the sea. When viewed from a distance, Jabarisang resembles a legendary giant fish leaping out of the sea. And the surrounding wind turbines look like giants marching to catch the fish.

Singgyemul Park is also famous for its beautiful glow of the sun setting behind Chagwido Island and Suwolbong Peak beyond the horizon. If you are passing by Yongsu-ri Coastal Road, it would be a great choice to stop here and capture this fascinating view with your camera.

Address

1322-1, Sinchang-ri, Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju-si, Jeju-do

When you drive south along Yongsu-ri Coastal Road, you will arrive at Jagunae Port where you can see the beautiful sea and Chagwido Island. At this small, peaceful port, rows of cuttlefish hung on a rope along the seawall will instantly catch your attention.

Slowly drying by the sea breeze, these cuttlefish are one of the things that represent Jagunae Port. During the daytime, they sway with the wind, and at night, they sparkle in the light of fishing boats, holding the vitality of the people living in Jagunae Port.

The port is regularly visited by the boats heading to Chagwido. On a sunny day, you can see the rocks and trees in Chagwido with your naked eyes. Fishers and families come to Jagunae Port and Chagwido Island to quietly enjoy their time.

At one corner of the port, there is a dodaebul (old lighthouse) made of basalt. It is said that this dodaebul was where a lamp lit with oil was put to safely lead cargo ships to the port. According to the explanation of the Jeju Cultural Center, in 1941, a light lit up here to guide cargo ships between Gosan and Mokpo or to have fishing boats that went out to sea return safely.

When you walk further inside, you will find a police station at the port. And next to the police station is the entrance to the trail. On the inside of this trail, there is a cliff made of unique geological layers stacked on top of each other, and on the outside, there is an open sea. Here, you can enjoy a superb view where the earth and the sea coexist.

This spot is famous for the beautiful glow from the setting sun. The sun setting behind Chagwido Island makes the photographers click to capture the perfectly fascinating view. After the sunset, the lights from the cuttlefish angling boats embroider the dark sea like stars. Jagunae Port is truly a place of hidden scenic views of Jeju.