Top 10 Favorite Places

Goobongsan

This is the mountain five minutes walking distance from our apartment. While it isn’t a long trip to get there, it is one of the most spectacular places we have had the chance to explore, and I say this after running on it nearly every day for the last three months. It is a beautiful mountain, with trails twisting around and over the top, wildlife, temples and an escape from the city. It is the place I will miss most in Korea.

Boseong

Boseong is where the green tea fields are located. We had a chance to visit is twice and both times I loved it. The tea fields are stunning and Boseong itself is a quite little town. It is so green and calm there. Plus, you can visit it by train, so why not go?!

Busan

The second largest city in South Korea, Busan is full of fantastic adventures. Haeundae beach was our main hang out spot during our visits. With its beautiful beach, variety of restaurants and market street there was so much to see, do and taste. Beyond Haeundae is a world waiting for exploration- the UN Cemetery, multiple temples, the Busan International Film Festival streets, one of the largest fish markets in the country and so much more. We loved this city.

Gyeongju

Described as one giant outdoor museum, Gyeongju was one place we wished we could have visited for so much longer as our one day there simply wasn’t enough to see it all. Really, we barely touched the tip of the iceberg for seeing the beautiful sites from the ancient Silla Dynasty, let alone the gorgeous temples and shrines in the area. It is well worth a long weekend trip to see it all.

Gwangju

Gwangju, oh Gwangju. Our first adventure, our first steps out of Yeosu. Besides being a close escape into a bigger city, Gwangju offers several art galleries, amazing food choices and lots of shopping options. It has an awesome pedestrian area full of shops which is a grand place for simply wandering and taking in life.

Suncheon

Only 40 minutes from Yeosu, Suncheon has a beautiful marsh-land conservation area as well as a huge garden expo. The views, sights and animals were quite beautiful and it is a great wander on a nice weekend. We enjoyed the slower pace and simply seeing the natural world in a non-mountainous form.

Jeonju

Jeonju is a nearby city well known for both is folk village and for bibimbap, a rice dish that is said to have come from this city. While we did not try any of the bibimbap, the folk village was fantastic. The historical buildings are beautiful and the shops were quite cute.

Jirisan

Temples and mountains, two of my favorite things in Korea. Jirisan is one of the tallest mountains in Korea. Several temples are scattered on the mountain, boasting beautiful statues and architecture. The trail itself kicked us in the butt, but it was a gorgeous hike. To make it to the top, plan on camping out for the night, but otherwise go for the day and hike around on the trails taking in Korea’s natural beauty.

Nagan

Nagan was the first fold village we visited, way back last October when we first arrived in Yeosu. It is outside of Suncheon on a twisty road and extremely popular in the fall. People still live and work in the village. We got to see the process for making rice cakes (as well as participate), see some beautiful pottery and wander around the old buildings and walls. It is a nice place to visit, even if it is a bit of the beaten path.

Geumodo

Geumodo is one of the small islands off the coast of Yeosu. We took a ferry out to the almost uninhabited island. It is well known and visited for its hiking trails. There are several hiking ‘courses’ that link together all over the island. While it is a bit remote, getting there was not too complicated and the hiking was gorgeous. The course we took followed the coastline, giving us beautiful views of the horizon vanishing into the fog.