Jeju Olle Trail: Daily Log Book Courses 14, 13, and 12
We hiked South Korea’s Jeju Olle Trail in March of 2024. To give you a sense of “life on the trail”, I’ve published my digital logbook here with minimal edits. This post covers days 13-15, courses 14, 13 and 12, walking counter-clockwise. Highlights of this area: Hyeopjae and Keumneung Beaches, Mexican cacti, artist village near Jeoji Oreum, distinct churches, and a UNESCO Geopark.
Kim Dae Gun Catholic Church, Yongsu, Jeju
Day 13: Course 14 Hanrim to Jeoji Orum, 12 miles, windy and a bit chilly, hazy after a morning shower
We had forwarded our extra gear to Seogwipo and enjoyed a week of trekking “lighter”. We had no intention of loading ourselves down again. From Seogipo, we took an early morning bus to Jeju City and stowed our extra things in a secure locker facility. With very light backpacks, we set out for another week on the trail, choosing course 14 as our next starting point. Hopping off another bus near the start point, we had a giant bowl of noodle soup while a brief shower passed, and then headed southwards, following the orange arrows.
Strolling through Hyeopjae and Keumneung Beaches at a leisurely pace, we watched two kite boarders with the whole bay to themselves zipping around, catching air and having a blast. The beaches were picture-perfect, with white sands and long shallow turquoise seas. The sky was overcast, with a strong warm breeze.
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The trail left the road for a bit and we picked our way along the black lava rocks along the seaside, with a strong headwind. Lots of trash — but they were in the midst of cleaning it up, as a nearby area was cleaned and looked much better. Most of the trash is fishing boat trash - nets, buoys, plastic bins, etc.
After passing Wollyeong Port, we began to notice a ton of cacti. There were bushels of purple cacti flower buds stacked along walls. Turns out that the area is a natural heritage site! The cacti floated here on ocean currents from Mexico several hundred years ago, rooted and thrived. Locals harvest the buds to make medicinal products. This is not the only Mexico-Korean tie - When we were in Merida, Mexico, we visited a Korean museum dedicated to the Korean people who traveled to the Yucatan to work the henequen fields in the early 1900s.
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We headed inland after that, giving some relief from the wind. We followed the path through small wooded sections, through large fields of broccoli, cabbage and radish, and past a giant landfill (Nice to know the trash collected on the beach goes somewhere!). We were lucky to avoid the rain today, but the wind was quite tiring. We checked into our place at the end of course 14 near Jeoji Oreum, had some makolli, rested for a bit and then went out for dinner at a nearby local restaurant - 갈치귀 (belt fish) fried fish dinner again (never gets old!).
Day 14: Course 13 Jeoji Orum to Yongsuri Port, 12 miles, beautiful sunny day with minimal wind
We started the day exploring a nearby local artists village that is home to a stunning variety of galleries and studios. Because it was Monday, most were closed. There was, however, plenty of outdoor art to enjoy and we did stumble into one random workshop (JJ Gallery) in which the artist was actually there and painting. His abstract paintings provide a rich viewing experience: initially, the broad view might appear as a painting of mountains or a field. Upon closer inspection, one can see that the artist has hidden little elements related to Jeju (fish, people, huts, etc.) in the details. The artists village is definitely worth the short bus ride to Banglim-won (방림원).
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Since we spent quite a few hours in the artists village, we opted to skip the initial hike up to the top of the Jeoji Oreum. Instead, we just followed the flat road around it. Course 13 mostly traversed the inland farm area, passing through small towns that have made a name for themselves in creative ways: a village with nine freshwater pools, a chair-oriented theme park, a reservoir built in the 1950s, and the “world’s” smallest Catholic chapel. Not much food along the way- we ended up eating junk food for lunch at a 7-11.
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At the end of the afternoon, we strode back to the seashore, port side in Yongsu. There is a large Catholic church and museum dedicated to Korea’s first priest, Kim Dae-Gun, who washed up here in a ship from Shanghai as he was returning from his ordination. The sea coast in Yongsu is exceptionally pretty, with several interestingly shaped islands sitting just beyond the harbor.
Kim Dae Gun Catholic Church, Yongsu, Jeju
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This town is very quiet and sleepy. There was one pension with available rooms, so easy choice. The only restaurant in Yongsu was closed for the day. We had to walk to the outskirts of town along the “windmill coast” to the only open restaurant where they told us on the phone to “come by 6:00” 😳. It was a chinese restaurant, with creatures from Disney’s Animal Kingdom outside. The food was good, though, and we were quite lucky to have this meal at all, given the day’s strange lack of places to eat 😆!
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Day 15: Course 12 Yongsu port to Mureung, 11 miles, sunny and windy
An absolutely gorgeous morning in peaceful, low-key Yongsu. Followed the coastline along a UNESCO Geological Heritage trail, which showcased layers of volcanic activity 450,000 years ago. There were also points of historic interest, including naval watch towers dating back hundreds of years.
The trail followed the coastline up the seaside cliffs to a vantage point overlooking Chagwi-do and Wa-do islands, showcasing their shape and features from various angles along the way. These islands are also geo-heritage parks, accessible via guided boat tours.
After leaving the overlook, we headed inland, weaving through large industrial size farms. Quiet walk - just a calm, peaceful wind and the cawing of crows. The distinctive rock walls separating fields across Jeju were not visible here in the broad plain between the sea and Hallasan. Eventually, we made a turn back out to the port area, where we had a huge 정식 multi-course lunch with grilled mackerel, loads of side dishes, and boiled pork lettuce wraps. Then it was back inland again, winding through onion fields of all variety and size. We passed a few more reservoirs - much needed freshwater on an island — and then climbed an oreum for a 360 view of the surrounding countryside below - blue and green sea, Hallasan’s iconic cone shape, the prominent round bump of Mt. Sanbang, and colorful farmland.
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Another couple of hours and we were “there” at the end of course 12 in the middle of nowhere. We got settled into a minbak and then C took a bus to the town nearby to get drinks and snacks. I napped 🙂. We watched some TV, decided to skip dinner and went to bed early.
