Hallasan rises from the middle of Jeju like a shield laid face-up on the sea. At 1,947 metres it is the highest mountain in South Korea, a massive shield volcano with a crater lake at the top, called Baengnokdam, and a ring of smaller cones on its flanks, perhaps three hundred in all, which the islanders call oreum. The upper slopes were declared a nature reserve and are part of the World Heritage listing of the island's volcanoes and lava tubes. Camellias, Korean fir, azaleas and a great variety of mosses grow in layers by altitude, and in winter the summit is under snow, a surprise on an island with palm trees at its coast.
Two roads cross the mountain and make Jeju a serious destination for riders. The 1100 Road, which reaches the pass at about 1,100 metres above sea level, links Jeju City's side to the south coast near Seogwipo, with wide bends through cedar and oak forest and a high wetland. The 516 Road runs further east and also cuts through mountain woods. Both are well surfaced, with tidy gradients, and both can be foggy and slippery at the wrong moment, and in winter they can ice up and be closed to vehicles without chains. In clear weather you look out across a green sea of trees to the ocean.
Jeju is a place with its own character. The island has its own dialect, its volcanic stone walls round the fields, and its dol hareubang, the squat stone grandfather statues that stand guard. The haenyeo, the women divers who harvest shellfish without breathing apparatus, are a local legend, and their tradition has UNESCO recognition. Tangerines grow all over the lower slopes, and you will see small roadside stands, while the local black pork and fresh fish are among the best meals in Korea.
Seogwipo is a town of about a hundred and fifty thousand people, twelve kilometres from the reserve, so fuel and lodging are plentiful, and the road network makes it easy to get everywhere. The best seasons are spring, when the canola flowers turn the roads yellow, and autumn, when the pampas grass on the oreum waves in silver. Summer brings typhoons and the monsoon, and heavy fog on the mountain. Remember that Jeju's wind is strong, so be careful on exposed coastal sections.