Ancient Korea built more dolmens than anywhere else on earth. These megalithic tombs, a huge capstone resting on smaller upright stones, were raised by Bronze Age communities some three thousand years ago, and the clusters at Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa were listed together as a World Heritage Site in 2000.
Walking the dolmen trail at Hwasun is a quiet pleasure: the stones sit in forest and fields, with the hills rising on either side, and you can imagine the effort needed to move such blocks without machines. Gochang, further northwest, has the densest cluster of dolmens of all, with a museum explaining how they were built.
The countryside of South Jeolla is green and agricultural, with rice paddies, persimmon orchards and wooded hills. Hwasun is known for its hot springs and for the Unjusa temple, with its unusual collection of stone pagodas and Buddhas scattered across a valley, the subject of many legends. Naju, to the west, was once the capital of the region and is famous for pears and for gomtang, a beef soup.
The riding in this region is relaxed, with quiet national and local roads winding through farmland and hills. Traffic is light outside the cities, and surfaces are good. Remember that Korean expressways are off limits to motorcycles. Summer is hot and humid, with monsoon rains in July, and autumn is the best season, with clear skies and colourful leaves.
Hwasun, twelve kilometres away, is where riders refuel and eat, and Gwangju, the region's big city, has everything. Jeolla food is famous across Korea for its abundance: a meal comes with a table full of side dishes, and the kimchi is renowned.