Jeju: 5 days itinerary. Part 5: Jeju City and the Coastal Road
Table of Contents
For the final day of our 5 days itinerary, we decided not to rush through the island, but enjoy a slow, easy trip through the island. Our itinerary was quite straightforward: visit an ocean road, check wind turbines, checkout a Sanbangsan Canola Field, and head back to Jeju city to enjoy the eveing.
Links to the other parts
Hotel and new car
Lastly, we spent the final day of our 5 days trip with a new car and in a mood to slow down our exploration a little. Firstly, we picked a different hotel - Grand Hyat. Our room had amazing, panoramic windows with breathtaking views of the city. The hotel offers lovely amenities, an SPA, an outdoor pool (which didn’t apply to us due to part of the year), and diverse dining options. I quite enjoy the SPA with its different temperature rooms and tranquil atmosphere. We tried one Korean restaurant, which was pretty decent. The hotel offers great value for money and is perfectly located near major attractions in the town center. If it fits your budget, I highly recommend staying here, even if just for a night.
Secondly, we switched our car to something a bit more upscale. I wanted to try something different from a budget option, so we decided to rent a Genesis. While the car certainly had a nice design and a couple of high-end features, it didn’t quite deliver the luxury feel I expected. Surprisingly, I ended up enjoying the simplicity and practicality of our first rental car more, which felt more suited to the road trip and easier to handle.
Coastal Road
During our first day of the trip, I read about Jeju Coastal Road, which is located on the west side of the island. During our exploration of the west part of Jeju, we didn’t have time to check out the coast road, so the mistake was fixed during this trip. It’s quite an easy ride, so you’ll have plenty of time to look through the window. And there are plenty of things to pay attention to: giant fields of wind turbines that power the island, scenic coastal curves, and picturesque cliffs all around the road. There are plenty of opportunities to stop around, so we decided to pick one of the spots to have a look at one of the wind turbines.
Wind Turbines
There were plenty of observation spots, so we picked the closest one and proceeded to a wind turbine. No surprise, a wind turbine should be contracted in a windy area, but it was on another level. I don’t know the exact speed, but I’m pretty sure it was quite close to a hurricane-force wind. Thus, the beginning of the walk wasn’t that pleasant.
It was amusing to watch the local fishermen near the windmills wearing multiple layers of “wind armor”. The layers consisted of thick jackets, scarves, and hats. The sight of them, almost resembling human fortresses reminds me of Russian fishermen, who frequently fish in a similar outfit during winter time.
We managed to walk to the wind turbine and, under the stiff breeze, tried to enjoy the view. The view is stunning. It’s hard to imagine the scale of the wind turbines. Standing beneath the massive structure, it was hard not to feel dwarfed by its sheer size and power. I would strongly advise you to experience it yourself.
Sanbangsan Canola Field
After the wind turbines, we decided to find a warm place to recover a bit. After exploring google maps, we picked an area near Sanbangsan Canola Field. Unfortunately, due to the season of our travel, we weren’t able to witness the canola field. Even Though, it was a couple of interesting encounters in the area. Firstly, there is a beautiful temple on the mountain with a lovely observation deck.
Secondly, we had a rare opportunity to see the real “aunty diver”’ (Haenyeo) in real action. Unlike the touristy performance, this was non staged way of life. It wasn’t a touristy event, but rather a local fish market where they sold their fresh catch, ranging from sea urchins to abalone. The atmosphere felt authentic, with the divers chatting and negotiating with local buyers, reminding us of the traditions that still in Jeju.
The way back and sightseeing
Lastly, we decided to enjoy the last evening of our trip at the hotel and its surroundings. On the way back, we took a break in a lovely local coffee shop with a Ghibli-vibe view.
Horse statues
Before heading back to the hotel, I realized that we didn’t manage to see the famous horse statue, so we decided to make one more last stop. The statues aren’t directly accessible, but very well visible from a nearby park. The park is very lovely by itself, so I would suggest spending an hour or so in the vicinity. It also has quite a fair bit of local eateries.
After checking out the main attraction, we left our hotel and flew back to Singapore the next day.
