Soaking up the Sun in Gangneung’s Gyeongpo Region (강릉 경포)

It’s best to avoid travel during public holidays in South Korea. Tickets get sold out early and getting out of Seoul can be a nightmare. We generally spent most of the major public holidays like Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) and Seollal (Korean New Year) either at home, hiking a local mountain, or cycling along the Han River. However, in 2020, things were a bit different. We had spent 7 months worrying about everything under the sun. The cases were below 50 a day and it was relatively safe to travel with the right precautions. To escape Seoul (and our apartment) we took a week-long trip along the East Coast of Korea. We started a day before Korean Liberation Day (15^th August) — to avoid the crowd — and rented the car from Gangneung rather than Seoul.

Getting there and around

Inside Gangneung KTX Station

Gangneung KTX Station

Most Koreans prefer to drive from Seoul (서울) to Gangneung (강릉) in Gangwon Province (강원도). It’s a better idea because extensive travel in smaller Korean cities is difficult without a car. Local buses (or even tourist buses) aren’t as regular and taxis can be quite expensive. Walking trails along the beach (and lake) are well developed and a treat to explore. Bike rentals are also located around the lake.

We took the KTX (click here and here for more information) from Seoul Station (서울역) to Gangneung Station (강릉역) and a taxi to our pension (a kind of Korean Airbnb) near Sageunjin Beach. The tourist information centre at the KTX station is perfect to get local maps and a general idea of the region. The staff speak English (Japanese and Chinese) and are very helpful. Alternatively, you can also take the intercity bus to Gangneung Bus Terminal. There’s more information here.

Sageunjin Beach (사근진 해변)

The view from the cafe across the observation deck

Gangneung’s long coastline extends for kilometres and its sandy beaches are perfect to soak up some sun after a wet monsoon. Our pension was a stone’s throw away from the quieter (less touristy) Sageunjin Beach. There weren’t any restaurants open and the cafe didn’t have any sandwiches (quite common in Korea). We tried to fill our stomachs with the gorgeous view of the East Sea and chilled smoothies.

Sageunjin Marine Park Observatory (사근진해중공원전망대)

Sageunjin Marine Park Observation Deck

The afternoon sun was quite sharp and it was difficult to stand for more than a couple of minutes at the observation deck. It had been a rather wet couple of months and I would have preferred the sun — had I not been directly under it. The Sageunjin Marine Park Observation Deck offers a panoramic view of the vast East Sea (also known as the Sea of Japan) and is on Gangneung City’s Design Spot Road 66 List (click here and here for more information). If you’re into diving, there’s an undersea shipwreck and other artefacts to be explored from this point. On the next day, we saw diving expeditions (along with an instructor) heading to the water pretty early in the morning.

A sea of blue

The vantage point gives you a bird’s eye view of the long stretch of golden sand that runs from Sageunjin Beach (사근진 해변) to the more touristy Gyeongpo Beach (경포해수욕장). On the other side, the coastline extends to Sacheonjin Beach (사천진 해수욕장). We didn’t have the time to explore the tourist sights on that side (click here for more information) of the coast. However, if you have more than a couple of days in Gangneung, you could choose to walk along its long honey coastline or rent a car to cover distances/tourist attractions more quickly.

Beautiful calligraphy carved into the rock

It was rather strange to find this big piece of rock (quite common in Korean landscapes) sitting on the beach. I’m not sure if someone had etched the text on the rock or if it was an ancient carving. We have seen similar etchings in the northern mountains. Unlike me, the gulls were making the most of the sun and sea.

The Sun and Sea

Korea is surrounded by water on three sides and it’s ideal for those who love the beach. However, summer is the only time when you can try dipping your feet/swimming in the water. Beaches are open only for about three or four months (you need to check the local government website) of summer. The water is too cold even in autumn or spring. We were early for check-in, so we had to carry our backpacks with us to Sageunjin Beach. The afternoon sun was too sharp and we had to go back to the pension. By early evening it was cool enough to come out again.

Goodbye blue sky

A breath of fresh air

Watersports and snorkelling are quite common.

The weather had changed drastically and it looked like there would be a downpour. It’s hard to predict the weather in Korea. However, it’s always possible to rent a beach umbrella or basic equipment from vendors along the beach. Most speak basic English even if you don’t speak basic Korean. The water is rather shallow here and there were few tourists (mostly families with kids). I was not going to let go of the opportunity of enjoying the beach — after spending so many months in land-locked Seoul. When it really started to pour, we had to go back to the pension. Thankfully, we had another day to enjoy the beach and I hoped it wouldn’t rain.

Gyeongpo Beach (경포해수욕장)

A channel in the sand.

Pine trees line the boardwalk along the beach.

A vantage point on the walking trail along the beach

We barely had two days in Gangneung. The beaches shut (possibly because of the COVID restrictions during the pandemic) by early evening, but you’re still allowed to walk in the sand or along the long boardwalk that runs from one end to another. We chose to walk along the boardwalk circled by the pine tree forest on one side. The road that runs parallel to the beach is lined with seafood restaurants, cafes, and hotels. This part of the beach is quite noisy and it’s better to walk through the quiet environs of the pine forest.

A photo-op along the beach.

An interesting sea sculpture at the main entrance of the beach.

K-Drama filming location

Gyeongpo Beach is also famous for movie shoots and K-Drama filming. We hadn’t watched the dramas or movies on the poster, but I’m sure a true drama fan would be drawn to this location.

Sunset at Gyeongpo Beach

We made it to the main square just before sunset. The sky changed colour with every fleeting moment and the cool evening breeze was a reward for that long walk.

SkyBay Hotel, Gyeongpo

SkyBay Hotel sits right at the centre of Gyeongpo’s main tourist hub. There’s Gyeongpo Beach on one side and Gyeongpo Lake on the other. There are many popular eateries and restaurants to explore on its lower floors. Seafood is the main delicacy here and it might be rather hard for a foreign tourist to figure what’s best on the menu. We resisted the urge to try seafood on the first leg of our Gangneung trip. However, on our way back to Seoul (after covering half the east coast), we succumbed to tourist temptation, and ordered the famous red snow crab stew. The red snow crab is quite the delicacy here because it is caught from the East Sea.

Gyeongpo Lake 경포호

We reached Gyeongpo Lake 경포호 after sunset and it was quite difficult to capture its true beauty on camera. There’s a walking trail that runs all along the outer perimeter of the lake. Alternatively, you can also hire a bike to cycle around the lake. The lake is serene and the cool evening breeze is quite the remedy for a hot summer’s day. Gyeongpo Lake 경포호 is also popular for cherry blossom viewing in spring. We didn’t have the time to complete the entire stretch around the lake and missed Gyeongpodae Pavilion (경포대) (VisitKorea link).

We were famished by the time we were done with Gyeongpo Lake. Most of the modern dining eateries are located along the beach or at SkyBay Hotel. The eateries next to the lake offer more traditional Korean cuisine and suit the wallet of a budget traveller. I opted for my all-time favourite Korean meal– bibimbap (비빔밥), and Basil ate a spicy meat soup, my guess: Yukgaejang (육개장). These shikdangs (식당) have warm hosts and are quintessentially Korean in nature. This wholesome meal was a fraction of the cost we paid for the red snow crab (daegae) delicacy.

Gangmun Sotdae Bridge (강문솟대다리)

Gangmun Sotdae Bridge (강문솟대다리) connects Gyeongpo Beach to Gangmun Beach. We reached the bridge when it was lit up and it looked quite nice against the backdrop of the dark night sky. Gangmun Seotdae Bridge is also one of the tourist attractions on the Design Spot Road 66 list.

Cafe Street

Cafes dot the banks of bridge

It was quite dark by the time we reached the bridge. I got confused by the cafes across the bridge. I thought this was Gangneung’s famous Coffee Street. I was a bit delirious after a long day of walking and exploring on foot. However, it turns out that Anmok Beach, opposite Gangneung’s Coffee Street, is nearly one and a half hour away (by car) from this point. In the month of October (check local website), Gangneung hosts an annual Coffee Festival for coffee aficionados. If we had more time, or daylight, we would have explored the neighbouring Gangmun Beach.

High on coffee and fresh air

Goodbye Gyeongpo Beach

We had to walk all the way back to our pension — on the other side of Gyeongpo Beach. The sound of the waves was soothing and few tourists were bursting fireworks in the night sky. It made the long walk feel not so dreary. On the next day (the day after Liberation Day), we would rent a car to drive further down south.