8 June 2022
Distance - 234 km
Total time taken - 4 days
Difficulty - 3/5 moderate (need to be comfortable with cycling up to 70km a day, with some inclines)
Trail type - Shared path on roads and bicycle path
Requirements - Bicycle rental, or bring your own bike!
The Jeju Fantasy Bicycle Path follows the coastal road circling around Jeju island with the total distance of 234 km. Just imagine the beautiful coastal views while you cycle! While you can choose to complete the route between 2 - 4 days, we decided to opt for a more leisurely pace to complete the route in 4 days while stopping at a few attractions along the way. This would mean cycling around 60 - 70 km a day. Part of the fun was also to collect the stamps at the 10 checkpoints along the way, which you can stamp on a cycling passport, available for purchase at the bicycle rental shop! After collecting at the stamps you can then claim a certificate of completion.
Trip Planning
As we planned to complete the round island trip in 4 days, we charted the journey for each day and booked an accommodation at the end point for each day. We decided to cycle anti-clockwise along the route, so we will be cycling on the side of the road that is closer to the coast. Which means a better view!
Day 1 | Yongduam - 21km - Darakswimteo - 21 km - Haegeoreum Village Park [total: 42km] |
Day 2 | Haegeoreum Village Park - 35km - Songaksan - 30km - Beophwanbadang [total: 65km] |
Day 3 | Beophwanbadang - 14km - Soesokkak Estuary - 28km - Pyoseon Beach - 22km - Seongsan Illchulbong [total: 64km] |
Day 4 | Seongsan Illchulbong - 29km - Gimnyeong Beach - 9km - Hamdeok Beach - 25km - Yongduam [total: 63km] |
This was our planned route for each day, although the actual distance covered varied as it included the distance we had to cycle to get to our accommodation as well as any additional attractions along the way. We also eventually decided to take a scenic path skipping Songaksan checkpoint, as well as a back country route skipping Hamdeok Beach checkpoint. So unfortunately we didn't qualify for the certificate (really sad).
As for our bikes, we had rented them from BikeTrip ahead of our trip via their online website. You can actually customise your rental bike with options for the type of bike (eg. road, mountain, hybrid), as well as add-on accessories such as pannier bags, phone stands, gel seat cushion (which of course we had to get to prevent sore butts). They will have your bike set-up and ready on the day of collection.
We carried all that we needed for the 4 days in the 2 pannier bags (rental add-ons) attached to the side of our bikes, and stored our remaining luggage at the bicycle rental shop. The more things you bring means the more weight you will have to carry while you cycle, so do pack light! Do also bring along basic bicycle maintenance and repair tools, as this will come in handy in case of any mishaps.
Also here is a useful link for the Fantasy Bicycle Path route on Googlemap which we used as reference to navigate on our trip. The Fantasy Bicycle Path is marked by a distinctive blue line on the road which is mostly easy to follow.
Costs
4 days bicycle rental - KRW 180,500
(Including: 2 pannier bags, gel seat cover, phone stand, bicycle lights)
cost indicated is per pax
Day 1 - Along beautiful coastal windmills roads
0930 | Collect rental bikes from BikeTrip |
1130 | Pass the colourful coastal blocks |
1200 | Admire lighthouses on Iho Tewoo Beach |
1245 | Reach Darakswimteo (checkpoint) |
1415 | Seafood ramen for lunch at Nolman |
1730 | Reach Haegeorum Village Park (checkpoint) |
1830 | Rest for the night by the coastal windmill road |
0930 | Collect rental bikes from BikeTrip
We were up bright and early on the first day to collect our rental bikes from BikeTrip, excited (and also nervous) to start our round island trip! The bikes were already set up and ready, parked outside the shop when we arrived. We checked our bikes, did a test run and packed everything we needed for the 4 days into the 2 pannier bags we had added on to the bikes. The remaining luggage was left at the rental store to be collected on the last day when we return our bikes. And of course I had to buy the special cycling passport from the rental shop to collect all my stamps! The cycling passport also includes all cycling routes in mainland Korea, so it's super worth it. It was around 10.30 am when we took a group photo before setting off on our adventure!
1130 | Pass the colourful coastal blocks
Beautiful clear blue skies and coastal views greeted us as we reached the main cycling route of the Fantasy Bicycle Path. We followed the Fantasy Bicycle Path marked by a blue line cycling along the pedestrian path which transitioned to the side of the road. We headed towards the first checkpoint - Darakswimteo. Although Yongduam is the nearest checkpoint, as we were already past Yongduam we will only cross off the checkpoint on the last day of our trip. Not long into the ride, we came across the colourful coastal blocks by the side of the road. And of course we had to stop for some photos!
1200 | Admire lighthouses on Iho Tewoo Beach
One of the main attractions for the first day was the lighthouses on Iho Tewoo Beach that were shaped like horses - one red and one white. We took a breather here and admired the views and the cute horse lighthouses. There were quite a number of tourists on the part of the island.
1245 | Reach Darakswimteo (checkpoint)
About 2 hours into our journey, we had finally reached our first checkpoint - Darakswimteo! This checkpoint was along the side of the road with a small viewpoint. You can easily spot the checkpoints which looked like red phone booths. You can get your cycling passport stamped with the stamp and ink pad at the checkpoints. One thing we learnt was that not all checkpoints have a well inked pad, so we will be sure to bring our own ink pads for future trips.
On the way to our lunch spot, we past a steep and long incline and had to resort to pushing our bikes up. While resting at the top of the hill, we chanced upon a small trail that lead to a viewpoint with a beautiful view of the crystal blue waters. I guess all that hard work cycling up the hill was not for nothing, and we might have taken a little too many photos here...
1415 | Seafood ramen for lunch at Nolman
We were starving when we finally reached out lunch spot - a quaint seaside spot with a cluster of restaurants and cafes. We parked our bikes near the carpark and went straight to Nolman, an unassuming small shop that sold seafood ramen with generous servings of seafood like crab, mussels and prawns. Just look at that huge crab! Hungry from the day of cycling, we literally inhaled our food. After lunch we explored the area which had many cafes overlooking the sea and I got a hallabong milk tea from Bomnal, which was pretty interesting. Honestly, I would have loved to seat and chill here for the whole day admiring the sea view but we had to continue on our journey.
1730 | Reach Haegeorum Village Park (checkpoint)
On our way to the next checkpoint, we passed a number of beaches - Gwakji Beach, Hyeopjae Beach, Geumneung Beach and Halim Park, packed with people basking in the sun along the white strip of sand. As we didn't have much time, we didn't stop at these attractions. But feel free to explore these areas if you have the time.
It was past 5 when we reached our second checkpoint of the day - Haegeorum Village Park. We happily added the 2nd stamp to our cycling passport. Nothing beats the satisfaction of adding a new stamp to the collection! There was a cafe right next to the checkpoint - Haegoreum Observatory Cafe, where we got ourselves some hard earned softserve icecream.
1830 | Rest for the night by the coastal windmill road
Right after the second checkpoint was the beautiful Sinchang Windmill Coastal Road, a long winding road that ran alongside huge windmills. A beautiful scenic path to end our first day of cycling. I had specially chosen an accommodation next to the Sinchang Windmill Road as I heard that the sunsets here were beautiful.
Our accommodation for the night was cosy and spacious and even had an outdoor trampoline and a small outdoor pool. We were relieved to finally ditch the bike for the day and rest our sore legs and butts. We quickly parked our bikes in the backyard, unpacked and headed straight to a nearby dinner location - Far Vento. I ordered an abalone risotto which was really good. Unfortunately, we didn't get a sunset view as it was too cloudy that day. The view of the windmills against the dimming skies was still mesmerising nonetheless.
Day 2 - Uphill climbs and a few mishaps
0845 | Breakfast along Sinchang Windmill Road |
1015 | Visit Suwolbong Peak Summit |
1330 | Lunch at Miyoung's Sashimi |
1630 | Detour to Sanbangsan |
1845 | A short stop at Jusangjeollidae |
2000 | Reach Beophwanbadang (checkpoint) |
2100 | Rest for the night at Seogwipo |
0845 | Breakfast along Sinchang Windmill Road
We were up bright and early to start another day of cycling. We packed our pannier bags back onto our bikes and set off along the Sinchang Coastal Windmill Road once again. The road looks different in the bright of the day with the rows of windmills standing majestic against the backdrop of the clear blue skies. There were not many breakfast options near our accommodation, so we stopped at the first convenience store we saw and got some breakfast bento set. The bento was surprisingly good even thought it was convenience store food.
1015 | Visit Suwolbong Peak Summit
We passed open fields and small towns on our way to our next destination Suwolbong Peak Summit. It was amusing to see how the locals would hang squid along the roadside to dry like some kind of laundry. I was honestly tempted to just snatch one to eat. The second day had a lot more uphill sections so we had to stop constantly to wait for the group to catch up. But we also took this time to enjoy the sea breeze and view.
Unfortunately when we had finally reached Suwolbong Peak Summit, we found out that the scenic trail was closed. Nonetheless, we took a short stroll to the coast for some photos and explored some war bunkers. The only thing was that were a lot of sea cockroaches around... so we had to keep dodging them while taking photos.
1330 | Lunch at Miyoung's Sashimi
The next part of the journey had us battling strong head wind and coastal wind. We took a number of rest stops along the way to wait for the group and pumped up our tires for a smoother ride. Unfortunately this took up quite abit of time, and we probably should have done the maintenance work prior. Oh well, but this also gave us the chance to enjoy the little things along the way - like a little dog peeking out of a caravan, and the rapids gushing out to the sea.
It was pretty late by the time we had reached our lunch spot - Miyoung's Sashimi. But we were excited to try the signature mackerel sashimi. We had gotten the mackerel in all its forms - sashimi, grilled and stewed. They were all good but the sashimi was the standout. It tasted so fresh, no hint of fishiness at all and paired perfectly with the seaweed, rice and sauce! Definitely recommended!
1630 | Detour to Sanbangsan
After lunch we did a scenic detour (which we had found online) along a path that ran between the 2 mountains Songaksan and Sanbangsan. The views were great as we were flanked by the mountains on either side of the path as we cycled, but this unfortunately also meant skipping one of the checkpoints - Songaksan.
Midway through we realised we were missing a few people from the group so we waited. After waiting for sometime, we sensed something amiss and decided to turn back to check on them. It turned out one of the bikes had a broken chain. Luckily, the bicycle repair kit provided by the rental shop had a spare chain and we managed to replace it. So always be prepared for mishaps! Due to the many delays that day, it was already past 4pm by the time we reached Sanbangsan. We stopped briefly to admire the iconic golden buddha statue and continued on our way, as we had to rush to reach the next town before sunset.
1845 | A short stop at Jusangjeollidae
By 6pm we still had quite abit of distance to cover, but some of us were already pretty tired out from the constant uphills that day. We then made a decision to split up, part of the group will take the jumbo taxi straight to the accomodation for the night, while the rest of us will continue cycling. We struggled to get a taxi online as they only spoke Korean. Luckily we managed to get the rental shop to communicate with them. A jumbo taxi could carry up to 2 bikes and 2 persons.
Little did we know the rest of the route was mostly downhill. The rest of us continued on our way to the popular Jusangjeollidae to see the famous rock formation. Unfortunately it was already closed for the day by the time we reached, so we could only admire the rock formation from afar. It was close to sunset by then, so we took a stroll around to admire the coastline against the setting sun.
2000 | Reach Beophwanbadang (checkpoint)
Very quickly we found ourselves cycling in the dark. It was a very different experience cycling in the dark as compared to the day, and I honestly quite enjoyed it as well. It felt much calmer, and a section of the path was lit up by lights embedded in the floor. It was 8pm by the time we had finally reached Beophwanbadang checkpoint to add a hard earned stamp to our passport.
2100 | Rest for the night at Seogwipo
The rest of the way to Seogwipo was a winding road going around the residential area. It was pretty dangerous at times, as a portion of the path had no road lamps and was completely pitch black. I could also see a few metres in front where my light shone and we had to be super careful as there were still oncoming traffic.
Luckily we all made it safely to our accommodation for the night at Seogwipo and met up with the rest who had taken the jumbo taxi. It was already 9pm by then. The hotel we stayed at, Hotel Alegria, allowed us to park our bikes at the lobby area. Hungry, we then roamed around the streets looking for dinner. Although Seogwipo is a relatively bigger town, it was late by then and most restaurants had closed. We eventually found ourselves at the Seogwipo market and bought some fried chicken for dinner. Nothing like ending a long day of cycling with some fried chicken!
Day 3 - To the waterfall and Korean folk town
0900 | Breakfast at Seogwipo Market |
1000 | Visit Jeonbang Waterfall |
1100 | Reach Soesokkak Estuary (checkpoint) |
1330 | Lunch at Pyoseon Beach (checkpoint) |
1500 | Visit the Jeju Folk Village |
1745 | View of Seongsan Ilchulbong by the coast |
1830 | Check in to Bomulsum and have dinner |
0900 | Breakfast at Seogwipo Market
The next morning, we were back at the Seogwipo market again looking for breakfast. Most stalls were closed early in the morning, but lucky for us we found a stall selling an egg and bread roll. It was fascinating to watch as the ajumma layered on the egg, bread, lettuce and then more egg, and finally rolled everything into a giant roll stuffed into a cup. It was so good to have a freshly made breakfast for a change, as we have been eating convenience store food for the past few breakfasts.
1000 | Visit Jeonbang Waterfall
There are actually a number of attractions around Seogwipo that you could visit such as Oedolgae Rock, Cheonjiyeon Waterfall and Jeonbang Waterfall. Due to time contraints, we only visited Jeonbang waterfall as it was along the way for the next part of the journey. The waterfall is situated just outside town, past a park. We parked our bikes at the entrance before walking down to the waterfall. The area around the waterfall was pretty rocky and crowded with tourists, so we quickly took some photos and was on our way again.
1100 | Reach Soesokkak Estuary (checkpoint)
The ride that day was definitely a lot easier than the constant uphills the day before and we could take our time to enjoy the scenery along the way. Very soon we arrived at our next checkpoint Soesokkak Estuary and of course the priority was to first get our passport stamped. Soesokkak Estuary had a beautiful water canal where you could rent a small boat and paddle around. There are also larger rafts where someone will be pulling the ropes to move it along.
1330 | Lunch at Pyoseon Beach (checkpoint)
Our next destination was the Pyoseon Beach checkpoint, where we had lunch before visiting a nearby attraction, the Jeju Folk Village. It was nice to have an extended break after cycling all morning. We got a drink in the small town and tried the specialty there - Bomal Kalguksu, which was sea snail noodles in a thick broth. The restaurant had a long queue, so we stood in line for quite awhile. Though the dish sounded quite intimidating, it tasted okay, though I personally found it a little too bland given how thick and flavourful it looked. But it was still something interesting to try if you are in the area.
1500 | Visit the Jeju Folk Village
After lunch, we visited the nearby Jeju Folk Village. The folk village had over 100 traditional houses and was an interesting place to immerse in Jeju's history and culture. There was even a farm with live animals. We walked around the village and explored the traditional houses pretending that we were villagers from the olden days in Korea. There was also this interesting set up with bamboo poles to test how skinny you were, and of course we all tried to squeeze through the smallest one. The village itself was a lot bigger than we thought and we couldn't finish exploring before it was time to continue on our journey again.
1745 | View of Seongsan Ilchulbong by the coast
After a few pitstops along the way, one to look at some interesting rock sculptures, we finally saw the huge silhouette of Seongsan Ilchulbong in the distance. It also meant that we were nearing our accommodation for the day, we booked an accommodation in the town next to Seongsan Ilchulbong. Before heading into the town, we stopped by the coast to get a clear view of Seongsan Ilchulbong. The mountain was partially shrouded by clouds and looked like a huge whale floating in the sea. As we continued towards town, we passed a vast beautiful flower field and couldn't resist stopping again for more photos!
1830 | Check in to Bomulsum and have dinner
We parked our bikes and checked into our accommodation for the night - Bomulsum. The accommodation had a balcony with a view of Seongsan Ilchulbong. It was in a small quiet town with just a few restaurants along the main road. And everywhere we walked we could see the majestic silhoutte of Seongsan Ilchulbong looming in the background. We had a super sumptuous meal at a quiet and unassuming restaurant, and the raw crab (which was a side dish) was honestly one of the best I've had! Also, I was very amused by how Koreans have such systematic way of eating, it is literally a science. The restaurant uncle kept coming over to demonstrate how to pair each dish. He probably saw us struggling with the boney fish and came over to remove all the bones for us using a peculiar technique. We were so impressed!
Day 4 - To the cave and the last mile back
1000 | Stop by Seongsan Ilchulbong (checkpoint) |
1200 | Pitstop at Gimnyeong Beach (checkpoint) |
1330 | Visit Majaangul Cave |
1500 | Last mile back |
1800 | Reach Yongduam (last checkpoint) |
1845 | Return our bikes at BikeTrip |
1000 | Stop by Seongsan Ilchulcbong (checkpoint)
We had originally planned to wake up early to climb Seongsan Ilchulbong to see the sunrise, but unfortunately it was raining in the early morning. Also, I felt sick likely from the constant cold winds the past few days. So after the usual quick breakfast stop at the nearby convenience store, nothing like a kimbab and banana milk to start the day, we headed to the first checkpoint of the day. The first checkpoint was just outside town, within 10 minutes of riding. Getting a stamp in the passport early in the day, was definitely a motivating start to the last day of our cycling trip.
1200 | Pitstop at Gimnyeong Beach (checkpoint)
It was a bitter sweet feeling to embark on the last day of our cycling trip. We were all excited to end the trip as we were all tired after 4 days on the road, but I will definitely miss the beautiful coastal roads once we are back in the city. We cycled along the roads, passed huge windmills similar to the ones we saw on the 1st and 2nd day. It was a feeling of deja vu. Finally we reached Gimnyeong Beach, our second pitstop of the day. After many days of seeing dried squid hung along the roadside like laundry, we finally bought one from the store at the beach to try. It was pretty good, a nice mid-ride snack. We took a short break chilling by the beach and I was honestly very tempted to jump into the clear and inviting waters.
1330 | Visit Majaangul Cave
We decided to do a detour to cycle inland to visit the Majaangul Cave. The cave itself was dark and surprisingly cold. We could hardly see anything as we stumbled around along the damp and uneven floor of the cave. This was a lava tube formed thousands of years ago and only about 1km of the over 8km long lava tube is open to public. At the end of the cave was a huge lava column, formed when lava flows from the tube above downwards. We took about an hour going in and out of the cave, before grabbing lunch near the visitor centre. We had a pretty heavy meal of cheese katsu to fuel the final mile of our journey, closing the loop back to where we had started 4 days ago.
1500 | Last mile back
We actually skipped the next checkpoint Hamdeok Beach due to the detour to Majaangul Cave, although it is possible to cycle back to the main route after the visit. Another reason for this decision was also because we wanted to avoid the crowded main route and cycle along the quiet back roads for this last mile. If you are here at the right season, you would also be able to see orange cloves lining the back roads. Honestly, the last leg back was rather uneventful, as the coastal views had transitioned to views of roads and houses as we near the main town of Jeju. The last few km was a steep climb up a park and across the bridge. We wondered around for abit before we spotted the final red booth of the trip - Yongduam checkpoint.
1800 | Reach Yongduam (last checkpoint)
We excitedly stamped the last stamp onto our passport and couldn't believe that our 4 day journey that took us over 200 km had came to an end just like that. If you are here during opening hours, you could also get a certificate of completion when you present the stamped passport at the office at Yongduam checkpoint. Unfortunately, because we missed out on 2 checkpoints due to the detours we took we couldn't get a certificate.
1845 | Return our bikes at BikeTrip
We were actually late to return our bikes, so we hurried back to the bike rental shop - BikeTrip. We bid a final farewell to our trusty bikes that accompanied us a full round around Jeju. We felt bad for disrupting their dinner, so we quickly dropped the bikes off, collected our remaining luggage and headed back to our accommodation for nice hot shower before treating ourselves to some well deserved dinner and beer at the nearby Dongmun Market.
My Thoughts
This was my very first multi-day long distance cycling trip, and though tiring at times, it was quite an adventure! I was also relieved that nothing major had happened to disrupt the trip, only minor mishaps along the way, and everyone completed it safely. I had also learnt to be more prepared the next time around with the right tools for every situation and to have contingency plans in case of bike breakdown. Also make sure to check-in your bicycle tools, because ours got confiscated at the customs! And of course, we will definitely be back to tackle the famous 4 rivers cycling trail next time round!
Also do watch our trip video below (I took alot of time to make it)!
Reference Maps
Day 1:
Day 2:
Day 3:
Day 4:
Wah, you pro sia.
Respect. If I know I will become tired and many hiccups at oversea, I will die.