Seogwipo: Waterfalls, Olle Trails, and the South Side of Jeju's Table

Hallasan splits Jeju in two, and the halves don't feel like the same island. The north, around Jeju City, is busier and windier. The south — Seogwipo — is warmer, more subtropical, and slower. It's where the tangerine groves are thickest, where the Olle walking trails are at their best, and where you can stand at a waterfall that drops directly into the sea.

What to do

• Jeongbang Falls. One of the very few waterfalls in Asia that falls straight into the ocean, and it's a ten-minute walk from central Seogwipo.
• Cheonjiyeon Falls. A short, easy path through subtropical forest to a wide curtain of water, lit at night.
• Seongsan Ilchulbong. The tuff cone on the east coast, a UNESCO site, and the island's classic sunrise climb — about 25 minutes up.
• Olle Trails. The island's 400km walking network. Routes 6, 7, and 8 run through and around Seogwipo and are among the most scenic in the whole system.
• Jusangjeolli cliffs and the Yakcheonsa temple on the west side toward Jungmun.

What to eat on the south side

Seogwipo shares Jeju's island cooking but has its own emphases:

• Black pork, again — but the Gasi-ri style. The villages inland from Seogwipo serve dwaeji dureopgi: grilled pork with a bowl of mombap, a seaweed-and-pork-broth soup traditionally eaten at island weddings. It's the most distinctive pork meal on Jeju.
• Godeungeo (mackerel). Raw mackerel sashimi is a south-coast specialty and hard to find fresh on the mainland. Grilled and salted is the safer entry point.
• Hoe and seafood jeongsik. Set meals built around whatever came in, usually with a dozen banchan.
• Katsu. Unexpected, but Seogwipo is home to the most famous tonkatsu restaurant in Korea — a small shop with a queue system that people plan whole trips around.
• Tangerine everything. Hallabong, cheonhyehyang, and the juice, marmalade, and chocolate made from them.

How to plan the day

The efficient version: sunrise at Seongsan Ilchulbong on the east coast, drive west along the south shore, walk an Olle section in the late morning, lunch inland for pork, waterfalls in the afternoon, and seafood in Seogwipo at night.

If you're not driving, Seogwipo's intercity bus terminal connects to most of the coast, and the 201/295 buses run the southern route.

Practical tips

• Getting there: about an hour from Jeju Airport by bus (600 limousine to Jungmun/Seogwipo) or 50 minutes by car over the mountain road.
• The 1100 Road and 5.16 Road across Hallasan are beautiful and frequently fogged in. Take it slow.
• Popular restaurants use remote queue apps. Put your name in early in the day and go walk a trail.
• The south coast is warmer but wetter. Jeju has its own weather; check the forecast the morning of, not the week before.
• Seongsan Ilchulbong sunrise means arriving in the dark. Bring a light layer even in summer.

Each restaurant below has a video on its EatHub page — helpful when you're deciding whether a place is worth the drive inland.