Gangmun Beach
How to get there
By bus: From Gangneung Station, you can ride the #202-1 bus for 11 stops, which takes about 15 minutes, and get off at Gangmun Beach Entrance bus stop. You then need to walk for about 8 minutes to get to the beach.
On foot/by taxi: This bus has a long interval time of around 40 minutes or so, so as an alternative you could walk or take a taxi. If you choose to walk, it will take around an hour, so I do recommend that you take a taxi! The taxi ride will be take about 10 minutes and will cost around 5,500 won.
Address: Gangmun-dong, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do
The Beach
Gangmun Beach is a small, white sand beach lined by various cafes and seafood restaurants. It's popular with visitors who'd like to have a swim or those who want to try scuba diving in the sea's deep waters. As you may have guessed, there is a lot of marine life in the area, so you'll often spot people fishing and some herons and other seabirds looking for fish too.
There are a good range of facilities along this beach, including shower rooms and changing rooms, toilets and a place to wash your feet. Behind the beach is a wooded area that offers some shade. Amongst the trees you can find an outdoor gym as well some, let's say, unusual sculptures dotted between the trees. The beach also has a small stage area near the bridge where musical performances take place from time to time.
Restaurants & Cafes
The northern part of the beach is lined with various cafes and restaurants. Aside from a beautiful sea view, most restaurants offer the same menu: seafood. From sashimi to spicy seafood stew, there's something for every seafood lover here. One thing to note is that the majority of these restaurants prefer to cater to larger parties of people, so if you're looking to try a range of fresh seafood you should bring your family or some friends along to share. If, like me, you're a solo traveller then you have to accept that this fish is off limits unless you can eat A LOT of seafood. But, that doesn't mean you can't try it at all! All of these restaurants offer individual meals, such as Mulhoe (cold raw fish soup), raw fish bibimbap, and various fried foods. If you're not planning on eating any seafood, there is the option of Makguksu (cold buckwheat noodles) which is a great dish to try on a hot summer's day. For more summer food ideas, check out my blog here.
So if you are looking for a seafood dish for one, I can recommend a restaurant. Located just behind the promenade of cafes and restaurants (sorry, there's no sea view) is Anhyeongsa. What first drew me to this restaurant was my love of a soy bean paste soup, Doenjang-jjigae (된장찌개), but this one had a nice twist as they added red crab which gave it a far richer, deeper flavour. As with practically all Korean dishes, it's served with multiple side banchan (반찬) dishes and you can order rice too. The interior is quite typical for a rural Korean restaurant, but that's not to say that it wasn't fairly modern and clean. It was also quite busy despite its quiet location, and the staff were very friendly.
Address: 203, Gangmun-dong, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do
If you're not in the mood for seafood and you're instead craving some Western-style food, there's a great little burger place right by the beach. Café Paul & Mary offers a range of burgers, including one that is literally dripping with cheese, served with a hefty side of fries, if you want them. There's also a wide variety of drinks, ranging from soda, to shakes, to cocktails and beer. I was serious when I said it's a great little place as it is small but cosy. The interior reminds me of an American beach hut and is very simple and rustic. It also has a big window so that you can enjoy the sea view whilst eating.
Address: 297-10, Gangmun-dong, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do
Now this café was a little way from the beach, but it's still within walking distance so I will mention it here. Café End To And is certainly worth the 20 minute walk along the beach and through the pine forest. You can't miss this tall, modern building as it's right by the roadside.
When you first arrive you'll see some outdoor seating that kind of wraps around the front of the building. These garden rooms have bi-folding windows so they're a great place to sit all year round. This seating area is open to everyone, including children and pets. Inside the multi-storey building there is limited seating in front of the counter, but there is more seating out back, called 'Epilogue'. Epilogue is only open to adults (a.k.a. no children or pets) and it has a modern, formal garden design. All seat have parasols so it is possible to sit there even when it's raining - trust me, I tried it. But if you'd like to sit somewhere dry, there are more garden rooms in this area too. The main focal point of this garden is definitely the large pine tree that rises up from the centre of a large, square table covered by a shallow pond of water. Yes, you read that right. It's a really stunning feature as the water mimics a mirror. There is bar-style seating around this table but unfortunately there is no cover from the rain or sun.
Address: 309-4, Gangmun-dong, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do
The café has a bakery so there are various cakes and pastries to choose from. I ordered the melon croffle (6,500 won), and paired it with the melon latte (7,000 won) from their signature menu, as I was really curious about this flavour combination. It was surprisingly good and kind of refreshing.
So why not head to Gangmun Beach? Take a stroll along the beach or even in the pine forest, and have a bite to eat or enjoy an iced coffee. It's definitely the place to be if you want to escape from the city and take in some fresh sea air.
