Gyeongpo Beach
How to get there
By bus: From Gangneung Station, you can ride the #202-1 bus for 13 stops (18 mins) and get off at Gyeongpo Beach bus stop. You then need to walk for about 6 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 I recommend that you take a taxi. If you choose to walk it will take around 1.5 hours, but you can walk there via Gyeongpo Lake and enjoy the scenery.
The beach
The beach is stretches about 6km along the east coast and was formed between the East Sea and Gyeongpo Lake. This is another reason it's such an appealing location as you can share your time between relaxing on the beach or taking an epic bike ride around the lake. Read more about Gyeongpo Lake here.
On a sunny day, the crystal clear water is a mix of blue, green and turquoise and the sandy shore is almost white. Between the fairly quiet road and the beach there is a narrow forested area which is made up of pine trees. This serves as a nice resting spot if you want to get out of the sun for a while. There is also a boardwalk that runs almost the whole length of the beach, making is easy to get from one place to another is your have a pushchair or wheelchair in particular. It should be noted though that cycling is not allowed on this boardwalk. It's also a great location for water sports and swimming. When I visited there were a few people swimming and even snorkelling in the sea, and there was also a speedboat zipping up and down the coast too.
Like most beaches in Korea, there are some necessary facilities such as toilets and shower rooms located along the beach. And of course no location in Korea would be complete without a photo zone or two.
Address: 1-san, Gangmun-dong, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do
Restaurants and bars
Running parallel to the beach are several restaurants and cafes and, you guessed it, they are a great place to enjoy the local dishes. Most restaurants sell locally sourced seafood in the form of sashimi or a seafood soup. Prices start at around 48,000 won which may seem pricey, but for the amount of seafood you are served and the number of number of people it can feed, it isn't a bad deal. When I say 'the number of people it can feed' I'm referring to the fact that a lot of these restaurants are catering to 2 or 3 people or more in a party. That means that if you're a solo traveller, like myself, you probably won't be able to eat those dishes. But all hope is not lost! It is still possible to sample the local seafood.
If you're not particularly a fan of seafood or you want to try something else in the area, there are some restaurants nearby that serve up some of Gangneung's other well-loved dishes. Makgugsu (cold buckwheat noodles), Sundubu (soft tofu), and Dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken) are all great alternatives.
So if you're ready to take a much needed summer break, come and enjoy some sun, sea and seafood at Gangneung's Gyeongpo Beach!