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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 good friend 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 Beach the evening 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 bought curious and determined to go go to this tiny island and had a beautiful morning exploring this island that’s so small, you may stroll round it in simply 1 hour. Here’s my information on the right way to go to Jeju’s Biyangdo with recommendations on the right way to get there by yourself and issues to do on the island.
Slightly about Biyangdo
Biyangdo is the youngest of Jeju’s volcanic islands, having exploded and appeared method 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 significantly uncommon about Biyangdo that makes it a must-see, however you do get some beautiful 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 take a look at extra islands in Korea, head to Oedo Island if you happen to’re within the south close to Busan, or perhaps Odongdo in case you are in Jeollanam’s Yeosu?
Where 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, significantly in case you are at Hyeopjae Beach or Geumneung Beach.
A notice that there technically is a couple of Biyangdo in Jeju – if you happen to go to the offshore island of Udo on the east coast of Jeju, it’s linked to a different even smaller island that’s additionally referred to as Biyangdo. More on that in my upcoming submit on Udo.
See Biyangdo location on Naver Maps
How to get to Biyangdo
Biyangdo is a 15 minute ferry experience away from Hallim Harbour on the northwest facet of Jeju, about an hour away from Jeju City and a brief distance north of Hyeopjae Beach.
Buy ferry tickets at Hallim Harbour
If you’re taking the bus in Jeju, take blue bus 202 and cease at Hansuri 한수리 [Naver Maps] – it’s a reasonably small quiet village that makes you’re feeling such as you’re in the course of nowhere. From there it’s a 5 minute stroll in the direction of the water the place you could find 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 choose whichever timing works finest for you. Regardless of the corporate you choose, you continue to must replenish the identical varieties within the ticket workplace, only a matter of the place you pay at.
You purchase your ferry tickets on the day itself. Bring alongside your passport to indicate on the window and replenish a passenger card indicating your private particulars and the ferry occasions that you just wish to ebook in your journey.
Ferry from Hallim Port to Biyangdo
There are a few seats exterior 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 correct facet of the boat if you need a pleasant view of Biyangdo as you method the island. The boat experience takes simply quarter-hour anyway…
Things to do on Biyangdo
Very shortly 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.
Walk across the island by the Coastal Trail
Most folks made a beeline in the direction of the height path (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 is a well-paved street that circles the island which is generally flat and provides beautiful coastal views. If you might be 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 outlets the place you may hire bicycles from outlets across the port if you happen to actually wish to zip across the island.
There can be an inventory of ‘significant rocks’ that may be discovered round Biyangdo. I personally don’t suppose any of them have been that convincing, however in case you have an interest, this specific hornito (hole chimney-like rock buildings 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: Natural 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 encircling coast. There are 2 entrances to the height path – 1 from close to the port within the south, and one other on the southwest facet of the island. They each result in the identical stairway that you could climb to get to the height. It took me just below half an hour to get to the lighthouse proper on the high, and that concerned a reasonably sluggish climb and many 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 remains to be 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
After all that strolling and climbing, I used to be undoubtedly within the temper for one thing to eat. There is 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 recognized to have simply 2 eating places up to now, however now they’ve extra choices.
Bomal Iyagi 보말이야기
Jeju is legendary for contemporary 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 can order it in numerous varieties 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), but it surely was heat, hearty and felt like a pleasant house 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 identify of the cafe interprets to one thing like ‘Stay Still Cafe‘ and it was great because it was air-conditioned so I could get out of the sun for a bit and enjoy a fancy drink. The signature dessert here is mugwort which isn’t my factor so I had a refreshing grapefruit ade as a substitute for six,000 KRW.
See Stay Still Cafe location and menu on Naver Maps. Open 9am to 4pm on weekdays, to 9pm on Friday and weekends.
Bonus: Eat at Hallim Harbour
If you’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 nicely.
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 good friend after I found I may go to Biyangdo. We visited so I may take a look at the speciality Jeju seafood – the restaurant has a particular seafood set made well-known by a previous president who apparently actually appreciated it. We ordered it (70,000 KRW for a small set) and man it was lots of meals for two pax!
The first course is mainly all of the starters – seafood consists of tremendous contemporary mackerel sashimi, sushi, abalone and conch (a should eat in Jeju), deep fried prawns and a soup.
Part 2 was a whole gravy slathered fish. Very yummy however man I used to be fully 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 Sunset cafe
We took a stroll north up the coast to discover a cafe to sit back at after that tremendous filling lunch and located this cute little place referred to as Egg in Sunset Cafe. It’s both very new or not listed in Naver Maps because it’s a part of this homestay referred to as Some Stay 썸스테이, but it surely’s bought a pleasant view of the coast and was very chill.
See extra information about Some Stay 썸스테이 on Naver Maps.
I like to recommend spending a morning right here, after which trying out the remainder of the Hallim space later within the afternoon. Keep heading west alongside the coast (hop on the blue 202 bus for the most affordable possibility!) to get to Hyeopjae Beach and Geumneung Beach, in addition to the Hallim Park botanical gardens with its well-known lava tube caves. Read extra about northwest Jeju.
Looking for extra posts on Jeju? Check out my newest posts or see all posts on South Korea.