Exploring Busan’s Yeongdo Island: Adventure, aerial views and artwork

There’s loads to do in South Korea‘s southern hub of Busan, particularly near the Nampodong and downtown area. Yeongdo Island is a small island off the southern tip of Busan that’s good for a day trip in Busan. From scenic coastal views and zipline adventures to immersive video artwork and cute cafes, right here’s my advisable record of issues to do in Yeongdo Island in Busan.

Make positive to spend a day up in East Busan trying out the sights of Haeundae Beach and extra, and skim my Busan planning put up for extra about issues to do in Busan.

Where is Yeongdo Island?

Yeongdo Island or extra precisely Yeong Island is situated in south of Busan. It’s linked by bridges to the principle land – Namhang Bridge results in Songdo within the west of the island, Yeongdo Bridge to Nampodong within the north and the Busan Harbour Bridge on the east of the island.

Huinnyeoul Culture Village 흰여울문화마을

Dubbed Busan’s Santorini, Huinnyeoul Culture Village is a fairly chillax little space alongside the west coast of Yeongdo overlooking the ocean. There are a lot of cool little cafes to hang around in and benefit from the view (on a very clear day, apparently you’ll be able to see Japan’s Tsushima Island from right here), or take a stroll alongside the Jeoryeong Coastal Walkway by the water, certainly one of Yeongdo’s 8 scenic sights.

This space was a settlement the place refugees from the Korean struggle got here to reside and was kinda derelict and half-empty till they revamped the realm in 2011 by turning it right into a inventive house and including a lot of murals on the partitions of the homes right here. I didn’t actually try the murals as a result of I used to be too lazy to climb again up the steps once more as soon as I used to be on the coastal walkway.

I walked alongside the coastal path and finally climbed again up the slope. I ended up at a spot referred to as 75 Square, named as a result of it was inbuilt 1975. There is a pleasant octagonal resting pavilion the place you’ll be able to sit and chill out right here. I took a bus to my subsequent cease Taejongdae from right here.

Taejongdae 태종대

Taejongdae Resort Park is a well-liked scenic spot to soak in Busan’s pure forests and admire the shoreline with some spectacular cliff views, particularly throughout sundown.

When I entered Taejongdae park, there have been some fairly lengthy queues for the Danubi vacationer practice, so I made a decision to save cash and walked the complete route as a substitute. It is a scenic stroll and whereas I say it’s doable for the common particular person (aka me), you want some health to do it because it will get fairly steep at sure factors.

Hot tip: If you propose to stroll, be sure to take the clockwise route from the doorway (Go up the slope in the direction of Taejongsa/Taejong Temple). You may be tempted to take what seems to be like the better route (that goes down in the direction of Taewon Pebble Beach), however belief me, you’ll remorse it as there are longer uphill steep sections additional alongside the route.

Yeongdo Lighthouse is likely one of the highlights to see in Taejongdae. There is the well-known Sinseon Rock beneath the lighthouse which you could climb all the way down to, however I used to be fairly worn out from barely sleeping on the flight over so I skipped the climb. It does look fairly although.

Gamji Beach Clam Shacks

Before I even entered the park, I took a small detour on the principal entrance to Taejongdae and headed to Gamji Beach, a crescent-shaped cove with a gray pebble seaside. If you like seafood, ensure that to hit the lengthy stretch of tents often known as the Taejongdae Jagalmadang 태종대 자갈마당 the place you will get super-fresh seafood.

I used to be tempted to have lunch right here, however alas the woes of eating as a solo traveller – there wasn’t numerous English spoken right here – I’m a bit leery of consuming bizarre seafood and it wasn’t that low cost, particularly for simply 1 particular person so I handed on it this time round again in 2019.

Taejongdae Ocean Flying Theme Park

Something new I did upon my return to Busan in 2024 is try the Taejongdae Ocean Flying Theme Park close to the doorway to Taejongdae. Here is the place you’ll get the possibility to journey a 653m over the Gamji Beach bay space!

It was a ridiculously scenic day after we acquired all equipped and went up the hill to the start line alongside the hillside. There’s a very pretty view of Gamji Beach beneath from right here, in addition to a restaurant should you’d fairly simply benefit from the view and never the thrills.

The zipline depends on climate situations – we needed to go down going through backwards as a result of that’s apparently a bit extra steady because it was a tad windy that day. I believed it was a beautiful journey that takes you proper throughout Gamji Beach and earlier than it, you’re again at the start line the place you’ll get unharnessed and despatched in your approach.

MOEI

The finish level of the zipline is a small constructing and its higher stage is house to the MOEI, or the Media artwork Of Environment Issue. Why it’s referred to as that’s past me, however that is mainly a mini model of the video artwork rooms that TeamLab made highly regarded – Yeongdo has its personal model referred to as Arte Museum which I’ll speak extra about additional down on this article.

MOEI is a not a really massive space, however in case any of your group is simply too small or scared to zipline, that is one place you’ll be able to entertain them whereas ready.

Arte Museum Busan 아르떼뮤지엄 부산

I first visited Arte Museum once I was in Jeju’s Aewol district and spent a day wandering round this immersive video artwork museum with its vibrant rooms and projection mild artworks, however it seems that the Busan department is the most important one amongst of Korea and situated alongside the jap coast of Yeongdo.

There are 16 rooms which you could discover right here, and among the rooms had been ones that had been fairly just like the artworks that I had seen in Jeju, although the immersive results nonetheless are fairly spectacular, just like the waves on the seaside and the waterfall for instance – I don’t know in the event that they rotate the works among the many branches or if they simply create related works with slight variations, however when you have visited an Arte Museum earlier than, you already know what to anticipate to some extent.

Some of the works that had been new to me – Tornado is a room with a visual mini smoke twister proper in the course of it that dissipates while you stroll beneath it. Waterfall is at all times fairly, and the Starry Beach at all times mesmerising.

The short-term exhibition was a collaboration with the Musee d’Orsay in Paris showcasing varied artwork masterpieces. Standing in the course of a Van Gogh portray was fairly one thing.

There is a restaurant within the museum and a cute reward store on the finish, although I breezed by means of this museum pretty rapidly as I’d already seen it earlier than in Jeju, but when it’s your first time right here, it’s a enjoyable option to whereas away a scorching or wet afternoon indoors.

P.Ark Cafe & Bakery 피아크

Right subsequent door to the Arte Museum is maybe the most important cafe and bakery I’ve visited not simply in Korea however anyplace on this planet. P.Ark has six total storeys, and its cafe and bakery cowl the highest 3 ranges of this constructing. The views from up listed below are completely spectacular with ground to ceiling glass panels throughout and loads of rooftop house you’ll be able to wander round and take a look at.

I popped by the cafe for a break after the Arte Museum and indulged in slightly ice cream deal with with a Sangha Farm choco comfortable serve ice cream (5,500 KRW) and loved the coastal view throughout.

Oryukdo Skywalk

Oryukdo Skywalk isn’t fairly on Yeongdo however it’s shut by in Namgu and you may see the jap coast of Yeongdo from the Oryukdo viewpoint so I made a decision to incorporate it on this information.

Oryukdo interprets loosely into ‘Five or Six Islands’, which is a reference to the little islets which are lined up in a row simply off the coast right here. There are a number of little islets that was one lengthy peninsula eroded over millenia by the ocean, however relying on the path you look or the tide stage, it could actually appear to be 5 or 6 islands, therefore the weird title.

You can’t go to the islets straight, however you’ll be able to benefit from the view from this cliff the place a glass-bottomed platform extends out over the ocean. It’s free to enter, however it’s essential to put on shoe covers (offered on the entrance) to guard the glass ground.

Some glass bridges are quiet scary, and you may see the waves pounding the cliff face beneath right here, however as a result of the platform isn’t too lengthy, I don’t assume it was that scary. Lovely views although! This is a part of Haeparang Trail Course 01 which is nice for dawn views.

There is a path that leads all the way down to the coast although I didn’t stroll down this time

Looking for extra to do in Busan? Check out my Busan journey planning put up or my information to East Busan the place Haeundae Beach is situated. Or try all my South Korea articles.