Jeju Island Coastal Loop from Jeju City

Scenic road chapters

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Jeju City

   Jeju is a volcanic island off the southern tip of Korea, and Jeju City is its biggest town, the gateway for most visitors who arrive by air. Behind it stands Hallasan, a shield volcano reaching just under two thousand metres, and its slopes give the whole island a gentle, tilted shape. UNESCO has recognised the lava tubes and the volcanic landscape here, and a sense of dark basalt is everywhere, in the stone walls that divide the fields, in the statues called dol hareubang that stand guard in villages, and in the black rocks of the shoreline.

   Read the complete Jeju City write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Jeju City is where the day begins. Next is Seongsan Ilchulbong.

2. 2. Seongsan Ilchulbong

   Seongsan Ilchulbong rises from the eastern tip of Jeju like a crown set on the sea. It is a volcanic cone about a hundred and eighty metres high, formed some five thousand years ago when magma erupted through shallow water and exploded into ash, building a huge bowl-shaped crater with steep green walls and jagged rim. The name means the sunrise peak, and the tradition of watching the sun come up over the Pacific from the summit is the main reason people come. The crater is a bowl of grass and wildflowers, about six hundred metres across, and cattle and horses once grazed on its floor. The site is part of Jeju's UNESCO World Heritage listing for its volcanic landscape.

   Read the complete Seongsan Ilchulbong write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Seongsan Ilchulbong comes up about 43 km into the recorded legs. Next is Seogwipo.

3. 3. Seogwipo

   Seogwipo is the main town on the south coast of Jeju Island, with about a hundred and fifty thousand people, and it faces the open ocean with Mount Halla behind. Jeju is a volcanic island, and the southern coast has some of its finest scenery, with black basalt cliffs, waterfalls and small islands. The town itself is relaxed and pleasant, with a lively harbour, seafood restaurants and an old-fashioned market, the Maeil Olle, where you can buy tangerines, fish and snacks.

   Read the complete Seogwipo write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   At least about 90 km into the recorded legs you reach Seogwipo. Next is Jungmun.

4. 4. Jungmun

   Jungmun is the resort coast of southern Jeju, a strip of beaches, hotels and cliffs on the sheltered side of the island, and it holds some of the island's most unusual scenery. The beach at Jungmun is known for its sand, which is a mixture of black, white, grey and reddish grains, made of crushed basalt and shell, and gives the shore a coloured, speckled look. The sea beyond is a popular spot for surfers when the swell comes in from the south. Behind the beach, lines of palms and manicured resort grounds run up the slope, and the whole thing has a faintly Hawaiian feel.

   Read the complete Jungmun write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Jungmun, about halfway. Next is Hyeopjae.

5. 5. Hyeopjae

   Hyeopjae is the beach that makes people on Jeju stop talking. It lies on the west coast, a crescent of pale sand with palms standing along its edge and water that goes from clear green to turquoise in the shallows, and across the bay the small volcanic island of Biyangdo sits like a green hat on the horizon. The sand is white because it is made largely of crushed shell, rather than the black basalt that dominates elsewhere, and the contrast with the dark volcanic rocks at the ends of the beach is striking. The water is shallow and calm, which makes it popular with families, and at low tide the sand flats stretch far out.

   Read the complete Hyeopjae write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Hyeopjae sits at 118 km, late in the day. Next is Jeju City.

6. 6. Jeju City

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Jeju City write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   The route ends here after 166 km.