Print

[Brian]

Hi, I'm just curious what you all think.  I tried to post a few polls on my page but they didn't work. 

These eleven are the ones with the biggest name recognition, but I'm not sure if many foreigners actually visit them.  There are other relatively popular beaches on some of the outlying islands, but I didn't want to include them all, so if you like those best please add your comment.  Two are just named after the islands they're on: Oedal-do and Sorok-do. 

For more information you can browse the Galbijim page "Beaches in Jeollanam-do," and if you can navigate Korean sites you can find more information and pictures.  I like this page from the otherwise uninformative Shinan county site.

[Pligganease]

To me, it's Gamami.  It's only about an hour and a half from Mokpo, and it's really great for swimming.  The water is clean and there are several restaurants and shops to make the day enjoyable.

If anyone wants to go, take the bus to Yeonggwang and there are buses from that station to Gamami.  Or take a taxi from Yeonggwang for $20.  You can also hop a bus to Beopseong and catch a cab for $10.

[rianshearer]

Just across the border in Gyeongsangnamdo is Namhae-do and Sangju Beach.  This is my favourite beach in Korea.  Nice sand and sea, good atmosphere at night and the beautiful temple Boriam overlooking the beach from its Geumsan (mountain) perch.  Wonderful.

[Virginia]

Oedaldo was great, until they put a waterpark on the island and brought boatloads of people over. They neglected to renovate the bathrooms, however. Still, outside the "swimming season", it's a great place that's close to Mokpo.

Myeongsashimri in Wando rocks... but maybe just because of fond associations I have with the place - camping weekends, afternoon walks, and surviving a typhoon that had me doubting that I would actually survive.

I think Korea's beaches are, in some cases, their undiscovered gems. I certainly wasn't expecting to find myself beaching it up when I first arrived.

I'm sometimes shocked and saddened by the state of some beaches here. Plastic bags blowing around (I mean... please! Think about the marine life!), broken bottles...) and always try to follow the basic campsite rule and leave it in better shape than when I arrived. It does depend on the time of the year, however, and whether anyone is assigned to actually clean the beach.

And I will never ever ever get used to seeing people swim in jeans and hoodies. If you aren't wearing as little as possible on a beach, then you're wearing too much.

[rianshearer]

Ha, ha, ha! I find girls swimming fully clothed strangely cute!  I'm not (a complete) creep, but if Korean women didn't behave like this, they wouldn't be anywhere near as attractive.

You're so right about the rubbish though.  It's a national disgrace, although big groups of drunk foreigners don't always help the situation either.  I'll have to get down to those islands sometime.

Rian

[goulash]

Myeongsashimri in Wando rocks... but maybe just because of fond associations I have with the place - camping weekends, afternoon walks, and surviving a typhoon that had me doubting that I would actually survive.

Don't exagerate V, it was only a little typhoon and we stayed dry... almost!

I was surprised to find a beach as nice as Myeongsashimri here as well. It's a shame it's a little more difficult to get to for most people than other not so good beaches.