Jeju Island: Cliffs and Camellias on Christmas Day

This was a year for many to re-think their Christmas traditions, and we were no exception. Instead of a Christmas tree, a fireplace, and family, we set out to see more of Jeju’s dramatic sights along the southwest coast of the island. Although we hope next year will be a little more traditional, this year’s driving tour of Jeju Island certainly made for a Christmas Day we will never forget.

Suwolbong Geo Trail

We began at the Suwolbong Geo Trail, offering a paved pathway along several kilometers of Jeju’s rocky west coastline. Our walk started at the small fishing village of Gosan-ri, known for its locally sourced dried squid. The small port and park there mark the beginning of the Geo Trail.

On one side of the Geo path are deep blue waves crashing against black, volcanic rock, and on the other side is a rocky cliff (called Eongal) on which green plants thrive, fed by a natural spring that flows from the top. Just off the coast is the currently uninhabited island of Chagwido.

Along the way are educational signs explaining the volcanic formation of the volcanic cones.

And the culturally educational signs telling about the legend associated with the naturally occurring springs. Despite the cartoon rendering, the legend is tragic (as seems most usual with the Korean legends…). The story is that a brother and sister once climbed the cliff to find a plant to cure their sick mother, but upon finding the plant the sister fell to her death. The brother’s tears created the springs that flow down the cliff. Just a happy, Christmas Day story!

Continuing the walk up to the top of this volcanic cone, Suwolbong Peak, provided panoramic views well worth the short climb. (The peak is only 77m, and the climb is gradual.)

Having finished this Geo Trail, it was time to drive south for even more dramatic views!

Mt. Halla and Mt. Sanbang

We were disappointed that because of rising COVID-19 numbers, Hallasan National Park was closed during our time in Jeju. Because of this, we did not hike Mt. Halla as we had planned. Despite this setback, we saw Mt. Halla from all angles – just not from the top!

I had read about the scenic drive along the Yongmeori Coast, so we continued heading south for more views of Mt. Halla, the blue sea, and the sheer cliffs of Mt. Sanbang. There are dozens of hikable tuff cones in this area, so we parked the car along the road and hiked this small one (Sesaloreum) for a better view.

The drive toward Mt. Sanbang eventually took us to a large temple complex outside Seogwipo, where we soaked up some sun and scenery. This site is actually three temples in one, as Bomunsa, Sanbangsa, and Sanbanggulsa Temples all share space at the foot of Sanbangsan. Due to time and daylight constraints, we didn’t hike all the way to Sanbanggulsa, which is a cave shrine further up the cliff face.

Camellias for Christmas

To close our Christmas Day tour of Jeju Island, we visited Manor Blanc, a coffee shop surrounded by stunning gardens. In the winter season, this is an especially picturesque setting for hundreds of blooming camellias and a large tangerine grove, two of the crops for which Jeju is known.

Christmas Closing

In continuing with our not-so-traditional theme, we stopped at Jeju Hukdon Saesang Suragan restaurant in Seogwipo for a Christmas dinner of barbecued Jeju black pork. (The pig is black, but not its meat.)

One of my family’s most important Christmas culinary traditions is eating red velvet cake, which we found at Starbucks! Not even close to mom’s, but the “comfort of home” value was there. Our hotel also had some Christmas decorations displayed, so we felt some of the more Western traditional holiday season vibe. We’re very aware that we have a lot to be thankful for, and having the privilege of spending Christmas in this way was a gift.

In our next post, we dive more deeply into Jeju’s history, including difficult sociopolitical events that have impacted its people over the past century.

Did you miss a post? Read about Jeju Island’s northeast coast and haenyeo, or spend more time on the scenic south coast.