Jeju travel info

Jeju is Korea's biggest island, and in the middle of it stands the tallest mountain in South Korea. Hallasan rises to 1,947 m, and it is the first thing you notice wherever you are. Hundreds of small volcanic hills called oreum are scattered around its foot, and black basalt walls run around the fields. A single stone wall beside a canola field is already a postcard.

The island splits into Jeju City in the north and Seogwipo in the south. The airport sits on the Jeju City side, only about 3 km from downtown. In the east, Seongsan Ilchulbong juts out of the sea like a crown; on the south coast at Jungmun, columns of lava stand as a sea cliff. The west has the longest sunsets. Hallasan, Seongsan Ilchulbong and the Geomunoreum lava tube system are UNESCO natural heritage. The food is part of it too: black pork barbecue, braised cutlassfish, pork-broth noodles and hallabong citrus, each one carrying the island's name.

The island is big, so plan by region: one day east, one day west, one for Hallasan or the south. Buses cover most of it, but the waits and the winding routes add up, which is why so many visitors rent a car. And expect wind, always.

From Jeju Airport (CJU)

By air from Seoul (Gimpo) (GMP)

By ferry from Mokpo, Wando and others (SEA)