Why this ride
A 234 km round trip from Hancheolli - roughly 4 h 30 in the saddle. It goes by way of Seonamsa Temple, Boseong-Suncheon-Yeosu-Goheung Getbol and back through Seonamsa Temple.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Gochang and Boseong-Suncheon-Yeosu-Goheung Getbol
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 234 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 30
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Gochang
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.
Read the complete Gochang write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Gochang is where the day begins. Next is Seonamsa Temple.
2. Seonamsa Temple
An old stone bridge arches over a stream in the forest on the way up to Seonamsa, and the view through its curve to a pavilion beyond is one of the best known images of Korean temple architecture. The Seungseongyo bridge dates back to the Joseon period, and the temple behind it, on the slopes of Jogyesan mountain near Suncheon, has a history going back to the ninth century. Seonamsa is one of seven Korean Buddhist mountain monasteries listed in 2018 as Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea, chosen because they have remained centres of living religious practice for over a thousand years.
Read the complete Seonamsa Temple write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Seonamsa Temple comes up about 69 km into the recorded legs. Next is Boseong-Suncheon-Yeosu-Goheung Getbol.
3. Boseong-Suncheon-Yeosu-Goheung Getbol
Korea's southern coast is a place where land and sea cannot decide who owns what. The tides here rise and fall by several metres, leaving wide mud flats, called getbol, that glitter in low light and fill with life. The Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats, were added to the UNESCO list in 2021 because they are a feeding ground for migratory birds travelling along the East Asian flyway, including rare ones such as the black-faced spoonbill. Boseong, Suncheon, Yeosu and Goheung are the four stretches here, strung along a coast of bays, islands and reed beds.
Read the complete Boseong-Suncheon-Yeosu-Goheung Getbol write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 117 km into the recorded legs you reach Boseong-Suncheon-Yeosu-Goheung Getbol. Next is back through Seonamsa Temple.
4. back through Seonamsa Temple
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Seonamsa Temple write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Seonamsa Temple, late in the day. Next is Gochang.
5. Gochang
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Gochang write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Gochang. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Gochang to Seonamsa Temple
Gochang → Seonamsa Temple is 69 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Seonamsa Temple to Boseong-Suncheon-Yeosu-Goheung Getbol
Seonamsa Temple → Boseong-Suncheon-Yeosu-Goheung Getbol is 48 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Boseong-Suncheon-Yeosu-Goheung Getbol to back through Seonamsa Temple
Boseong-Suncheon-Yeosu-Goheung Getbol → back through Seonamsa Temple is 47 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Seonamsa Temple to Gochang
back through Seonamsa Temple → Gochang is 69 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.