Jeju Olle Trail: Daily Log Book Courses 6-8 (Seogwipo)
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 11-12 along course 6 and a rest day in Seogwipo. Bonus content includes photos from courses 7 and 8 from previous island trips.
Highlights of course sections 6 through 8: Seowgipo city, Oedolgae (외돌개), Jeongbang Waterfall (정방폭포), Cheonjiyeon Waterfalls (천지연폭포), Hwanguji Coast (황우지 해안), Gidang Art Museum, the Lee Jung Seop Art Gallery (이중섭 미술관), Jusangjeollidae (volcanic basalt columns), World Cup soccer stadium, Jungmun beach and resort, and the convention center.
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TIP! If you only have time for one area of Jeju or the Olle Trail, choose Seogwipo (courses 6-8). This region has the most concentrated variety of cultural and natural scenic wonders.
Day 11: Course 6 to Seogwipo, 8 miles, gorgeous day with no wind, sunshine and warm temp
Very late start today (after an early stroll along the black sand beach nearby). The course to Seogwipo is less than 7 miles, so no rush. Absolutely gorgeous weather, allowing us to don thin pants and short sleeves.
Snow-dusted Halla San in distance
Perfect day to walk along the south coast of Jeju. Plenty of palm trees, marine blue and turquoise waters, dark green pines, bright pink, red and purple flower blossoms, and black / red lava rocks. From the top of a small oreum hilltop, we could see all three “brothers” - the trio of islands off the coast of Seogwipo (Seopseom, Moonseom, Bomseom). We also had clear views of Halla San. A small food truck across from Seopseom island beckoned us to lunch: tokpokki, odeng, and roasted rice cakes with orange sauce, along with a fermented rice beverage. Talked to a couple of Hong Kong bikers.
We passed Seopseom and wound through a Honeymoon Resort area, with cliff side waterfalls, fresh water pools flowing to the sea, and peaceful views of the waves crashing over million year old magma flows, molded in hexagon shape. We paid the 2,000 won entrance fee for course 6’s main attraction: Jeongbang waterfall.
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As we entered the resort city of Seogwipo, we stopped at a calligraphy gallery. Caffrey explained the various styles: cursive, artistic, expressive, precisely controlled... The gallery showcased a famous calligrapher’s works in various styles. I learned a lot from C’s explanation and now have a greater appreciation for calligraphy as an art form.
After checking in at the Jeju Olle Trail Headquarter Homestay (highly recommended), we were invited to join a round table with a representative from the Olle Trail Board and fellow trail walkers. For nearly two hours, we shared photos, stories, ideas and recommendations. Afterwards, C and I went for pasta dinner at Hans Deli - not recommended 😉.
Day 12: Rest day Seogwipo, perfect day with sunshine, no wind
Laundry done. Strolled thru various parks in Seogwipo, with picnic lunch of kimbap and soju near some wood horse sculptures. Long afternoon nap and then some exploration along Artists Way, the Cheonggyecheon waterfall, and two art galleries: Joon Seop and Gidang Art Museum. Joon Seop is one of Korea’s most recognized — and tragic — painters with a very distinct impressionist style. The museum is organized chronologically and helps visitors understand Joon Seop’s life, inspiration, and challenges (his work was banned for “lewdness”, he pined for his wife and children living in Japan, and he ultimately died of near-starvation and alcoholism).
The Gidang Art Museum was a terrific surprise, perched high on a hill with a broad view of Seogwipo and Hallasan. The museum had curated works from various Korean artists, primarily around the Jeju theme. My favorite was a broad series of gold-toned paintings by Woo Sung Byun.
We had lettuce wraps (쌈밥) for dinner, crashing a party of about twenty 60 year old men having a high school reunion. They were very fun to watch.
Courses 7 and 8: Seogwipo Cliff Walk and Jungmun Beach and Resort
Since we had been to Seogwipo several times in the past, we had already walked courses 7 and 8. During our March 2024 Olle Trail walk, we skipped these sections. I wanted to include some photos here, though, because these sections are truly among the most beautiful and worth prioritizing if you have limited time.
Jeju Olle Trail Course 7 undulates seaside, along a boardwalk perched high on the cliffs. It’s a gorgeous walk, with small parks, artsy cafes, and endless scenery! The most famous view along course 7 is Oedolgae, a statuesque rock formation with a sad legend of loss and longing. The scene will be familiar if you watched Korea’s most famous K-drama of all time — Jewel in the Palace / Dae Jang Geum.
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Course 8 starts near Wolpyeong Port and includes the convention center and Jungmun Beach and Resort area. It’s worth stopping by Cheonjeyeon Falls (천제연폭포) and Jusangjeollidae, the island’s best view of rapidly-cooled volcanic magma, which forms angular black columns in the sea.
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For the next leg of our Olle Trail hike, we decided to skip over to the west coast of Jeju Island, an area that we had not explored much in the past. Starting from Course 14, we walked counter-clockwise for another four days covering courses 14 through 10.
