Yeosu,Beautiful City of Sea

Picture your vacation for this summer. Where would you want to go? If you want to enjoy beautiful sea and marine sports and also want to taste delicious seafood, there is one perfect place for you!

Yeosu is a small city in the southwestern coast of Korea . The port city consists of Yeosu peninsula as well as some 300 islands. It is not only famous for its clean sea and a Maritime National Park ( Dadohaehaesang National Park ) but also known as the city with historical sites in memory of Admiral Yi Sun Shin. There are a lot of vacation spots worth visiting in this city, but for your summer holiday I’d like to recommend you to enjoy the beautiful sea of the host city of the World Expo, which will be held under the theme of “The Living Ocean and Coast: Diversity of Resources and Sustainable Activities”.

Begin your journey with Odongdo Island , which is right next to the Yeosu Station. This beautiful island is connected to the land by a breakwater. On the margin of the subtropical climate, this island is filled with 194 rare species of tress. When you walk around the woods, you may see red dazzling camellias (Dongbaek flower). There is a sad love story behind them: Once upon a time there lived a lowing couple. One day the wife was chased by a group of thieves. She fell over a precipice to remain faithful to her husband. After the husband heard of her tragic death, he buried her on the cliff of Odongdo Island . Afterwards, camellias are in full bloom as if they prize her chastity. Believe it or not, you can have fun while talking about the story. After walking on the boardwalk for about 20~30 minutes, you will get to see the breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean . Watching the deep blue sea from the ocean cliff can get rid of your stress. You must not miss the Music Fountain Show at night. Every 30 minutes after 6 p.m. you can watch the stream of water waves and dances along the music. It is really fabulous!

Have you heard of Dolsan leaf-mustard kimchi, Godeulppaegi? Then why not go and taste it? Our next stop is Dolsando Island . First, cross the Dolsan Grand Bridge , of which the night view is quite fantastic! You can literally enjoy a whole day trip from sunrise to sunset on this island. Hyangiram is a Buddhist temple, which was built around 644 by the request of a great Buddhist priest, Wonhyo. This temple has become famous for watching stunning sunrise, especially on New Year’s Day. So wake up early and then climb up about 500 untrimmed stone stairs. But don’t worry! Mountain Geumoh is not very high and half the fun is enjoying the natural beauty. Once you reach the top of the mountain, you can see the splendid temple. Walk around it, find the rock of the turtle and then turn around. You will be captivated by the absolutely gorgeous sunrise upon the horizon of the south sea! Spend some time praying for your new year’s wish.

 If you want to swim and enjoy the sun, you can take a rest on the Bangjookpo beach. Or you could drop by the Aquatic Science Showroom, if you’re interested in marine biology. Don’t forget to taste the delicious seafood! Around the Dolsan Grand Bridge , there are many restaurants you can enjoy fresh raw fish at a reasonable price, served with a dozen side dishes including the famous Godeulppaegi. For your dessert, you can have a cup of coffee at the seaside café, Yellow Monkey, watching the exquisite multicolored sunset.

Are you interested in marine sports? Then take some time to visit the Soho Yacht Marina. Here you can enjoy yachting, surfing, water ski, banana boat and even scuba diving! Para Ocean Water Park , which will be open this July, is nearby. Your kids will love this place! And if you really want to experience natural beauty of the ocean, you can cruise around Sado, Baekdo or Geomundo Island . Dinner on the night cruise is quite romantic as well.

So escape from the heat of the city and enjoy your holiday in a peaceful town by the crystal clean sea, not to mention the super-friendly people of this city! You are definitely going to find yourself relax. There is something special about this city, and you’ve got to find it out before too many people flock into this Expo-winning city!