Mohang Beach, borrowed from the Naver online encyclopedia.
A test of the chemical oxygen demand of 220 beaches in South Korea by the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs found the cleanest water is at Mohang Beach (모항해수욕장) in Jeollabuk-do's Buan county. It is located on the Byeongsan peninsula, within the national park of the same name (병산반도국립공원). Buses from Gwangju make the hundred-minute trip to Buan only twice a morning, at 09:30 and 10:45, with local buses running from Buan to the beach six times a day. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, the beach won't officially open until around July 8th.
A few slightly-related points on beaches in the area below the fold:
+ In July 2008 I asked users of Waygook.org to vote for their favorite beach in Jeollanam-do from a list of eleven of the best known. Only six votes came in, and only four were for beaches in Jeollanam-do, but Wando county's Myeongsashim-ni had three and Yeonggwang county's Gamami had one.
+ A lot of local teachers look to Yeosu's beaches for summer fun, and invariably go to the "famous" "black" "sand" beach Manseongri (만성리해수욕장). I mean, it's great for your girl parts, according to the Korea Tourism Organization:
One of the beautiful beaches in Yeosu City, Manseong-ri beach is distinct for its rare black sand. Burying your body in the sand is claimed to cure neuralgia and various women's diseases making the beach a crowded place for visitors who come from all over the country to experience its benefits.
But as I said halfway through this July 2008 rant, it's pretty shitty: the sand isn't black, the beach is just rocks and shells, and the ocean floor will tear up your feet. You're better off going to the one a few kilometers up the road, Mosageum (모사금해수욕장) It's more isolated---at least it was before several years of telling people to go to it---and is much more pleasant for swimming, playing, and lounging.
People at the "black sand" beach, from the Yeosu Internet News. Gee, looks like fun.
+ Also popular, and pretty, are some of the many islands of Jeollanam-do, including: Bogil-do (보길도) and Cheongsan-do (청산도) in Wando county and Bigeum-do (비금도) in Shinan county.
2 comments:
I lived five minutes from Mohang beach my first year, and it was one of the best beaches in the area.
Another good one which is a bit easier to get to is Gosapo beach.
From Gwangju it might be easier to take a bus to Iksan or Jeonju as buses run more often, then from Iksan or Jeonju take a bus to Buan.
From Buan take a bus to Byeonsan.
From Byeonsan it might be easiest to take a taxi the rest of the way to the beach. A bus does go past, but if you sometimes need to ask the driver to stop. It's got some pretty nice camping spots, the tide goes out far enough that you can walk to an island, and it reminded me beaches in Michigan.
Mohang is much smaller, but there are stores as well as minbaks (one of them raises deer!)
Thanks for that information, Isak, it's very helpful.
Post a Comment