Boseong's Yulpo Beach, Jangheung's Sumun Beach.

On Yulpo Beach, stolen from here.

For people visiting Boseong from out of town, it's not always efficient to just see the gorgeous Green Tea Fields and then leave. Another attraction in the county that has gotten some attention is "Yulpo" (율포). Yulpo is often used ambiguously by foreigners as a catch-all term referring to the beach, the green tea baths, or the water park. All are located in Hoecheon-myeon, in the southwestern corner of the county.


Stolen from here.

The beach and nearby attractions have gotten mixed reviews. The tourism websites talk it up to the heavens, of course, and travellers have enjoyed themselves, too. Others haven't been as pleased: one woman who in her infinite wisdom visited in February called it "shitty" and a reputable Dave's poster called it a "disappointing detour." Oooh, he criticizes the area here too, and those with an interest in the morbid will remember that a 70-year-old serial killer from Boseong murdered his victims off the coast of Yulpo last year. But more optimistic blog entries on the area are available here and here, and VisitKorea has a decent overview of the county here. The pictures on Naver look a bit iffy for swimming, but the view might be worth a visit if you have time to spare in Boseong.

Besides the beach there is, as you read, a Green Tea Spa (율포해수녹차밭), open from 6 am to 8 pm. Last year little waterpark (해수파도풀장) opened up in the vicinity. You'll find a couple of pictures and a Korean-language article on it here. To my extreme and unflinching annoyance there are no specifics available online regarding bus numbers or times, though a person with minimal Korean-language skills should have no troubles finding the county's major attractions. It just kills me that after, what, thousands of foreigners have passed through none have bothered to share this information.

About 9 kilometers west of Yulpo is Jangheung county's Sumun Beach (수문해수욕장, map), also known as Sumunpo Beach. It's nice and scenic, and might be a better option if you're looking to go swimming. Right behind it is Okseom Water Park.



(Top) Sumun Beach. (Bottom) An unflattering photo of Sumun Beach, in which you can see Okseom Water Park going up in the background.

As for accommodation, there are a number of cute penion available in Boseong, in an around the green tea fields. Look around at Naver's search results to see what turns up, and though they'll cost---and offer---more than your average love motel, they might be nice for a couple or a family. There are also a few love motels in Jangheung-eup and Boseong-eup. Take a look around Naver, too, for minbak around Yulpo and around Sumun.