Sangju & Geumsan

Getting here

From Busan

Take an intercity bus from Busan Seobu Intercity Bus Terminal, at Sasang Station on Line 2, to Namhae Public Bus Terminal; VisitKorea's 2019 timetable gives about two and a half hours. Hire a car near the terminal for the last 22 km south to Sangju. Drivers from Busan head west along the Namhae Highway and cross to the island by bridge.

From Seoul

Intercity buses leave Seoul Nambu Terminal for Namhae several times a day, about four and a half hours by VisitKorea's 2019 figure, and arrive at Namhae Public Bus Terminal in Namhae-eup. From there, a hire car takes you the last 22 km south to Sangju.

From Namhae-eup

Sangju lies about 22 km south of Namhae-eup by Namhae County's figure. Korea.net's guide points to hire cars near the bus terminal, with online booking too, and taxi tours of the island also run. For Boriam, follow the road past Aenggang Pass and Bokgok Reservoir to the Bokgok car parks.

On your doorstep

• Geumsan Boriam A hermitage on Geumsan (704 m) that VisitKorea and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries count among Korea's three great prayer sites, with Bomunsa on Ganghwado and Hongnyeonam at Naksansa. Legend has the monk Wonhyo practising here in 683, and in 1660 King Hyeonjong made it a royal prayer temple. Open daily 03:30–20:00; keep quiet during services.
• Ssanghongmun and the Geumsan summit Ssanghongmun is a rock arch that VisitKorea ranks first among Geumsan's 38 scenic sights. The summit is about 20 minutes on foot from the Boriam ticket office.
• Songjeong Solbaram Beach A pine-shaded beach about 5 km from Sangju Beach, which Namhae County calls the second-largest beach in Namhae.
• Seolli Skywalk In Mijo-myeon, a skywalk 36 m above the ground, 79 m long and 4.5 m wide, with a giant swing over the sea. VisitKorea's 2021 guide describes it as Korea's first asymmetric cantilever-bridge skywalk.
• Mijo Port A national fishing port since 1971, with a South and a North harbour, landing anchovy, Spanish mackerel, hairtail, eel and cod, and holding an early-morning live-fish auction. The Treasure Island Anchovy Festival is held around the port every year in mid-May, and the county's tourism foundation recommends the port at sunset.
• Gacheon Daraengi Village In Nam-myeon, more than 100 curved terraced paddies climb a steep hill on the edge of Seolheulsan, above a sea cliff. Park at the car park and walk into the village; trails run between the paddies, and about an hour covers Amsubawi Rock and Mondol beach.
• Seomi Garden In Nam-myeon, Gyeongsangnam-do's first designated private garden, open daily from sunrise to sunset.

One easy day from here

1. Dawn Drive up to the Bokgok car parks and walk about 15 minutes from the ticket office to Boriam, open from 03:30, for the Geumsan sunrise VisitKorea recommends.
2. Morning Go on to the Geumsan summit, about 20 minutes on foot from the ticket office, and Ssanghongmun, then come down to Sangju Silver Sand Beach.
3. Afternoon Drive to Songjeong Solbaram Beach, about 5 km from Sangju, then to the Seolli Skywalk and Mijo Port in Mijo-myeon; or head to Daraengi Village in Nam-myeon for an hour on the terrace trails, and Seomi Garden.
4. Evening Watch the sunset at Mijo Port, as the county's tourism foundation suggests, then return to Sangju for the night.

Before you book

• Book in Sangju for the sunrise. VisitKorea's advice is to stay a night and see the sunrise from Geumsan, Boriam opens daily at 03:30, and the hermitage and the beach are both in Sangju-myeon.
• Bring a car. Boriam is reached by a mountain road to the Bokgok car parks, and Korea.net's guide points to hire cars near the terminal in Namhae-eup.
• Book ahead for summer: Sangju is a shallow-water beach popular with families, with campgrounds and accommodation nearby.
• Mid-May brings the Treasure Island Anchovy Festival to Mijo Port; plan a Sangju night around it.
• At Boriam, keep quiet during services: it is one of Korea's great prayer sites, and people come to pray.