The coastline of Samcheok in Gangwon Province is quite complicated and heavily indented, unlike the usual simple and smooth coastline of the Korean Peninsula’s east coast.

Jangho-ri in Samcheok is a village consisting of a beach, a natural port and rocks on the seashore. Jangho Beach may be the best place for marine sports, according to the Korea Tourism Organization.

In Jangho Beach, you can try snorkeling, learning marine ecology in a transparent canoe, sea rafting and fishing on a boat.

Transparent canoeing is most popular among Koreans, and is available on the seashore of Jangho-ri. Past the Jangho Port, follow the way to the end and you will find a pier where transparent canoes and rafting boats are tied in a line.

After receiving some brief training, you can go straight to the ocean and children are also allowed to enjoy the activity.

Canoeing in Jangho-ri is quite safe because the sea is very shallow and rocks on the shore naturally break water. Lifeguards are always on duty with emergency equipment prepared. 

About 10 large rocks and the waters in between create exotic scenery and you can avoid the sizzling sun under the rocks for a while.

Through the transparent canoe base, you can see the clear sea and creatures such as starfish, sea urchins, octopuses and sea cucumbers.

While waiting until your booking time for canoeing, you can go to the beach and catch small crabs or gastropods by flipping rocks. Jangho-ri is also a good place for fishing.

Another recommended water sport is a 5.4-kilometer-long “Samcheok Ocean Railbike” running between Yonghwa-ri and Gungchon-ri. Along the coast, the rail bike takes you through a pine tree forest, pampas grass fields and Chogok Tunnel.

Located near Jangho-ri, Haesindang Park has the nation’s largest theater aquarium and exhibits of folk materials showing the lifestyle of fishermen of the East Sea. There is an interesting bronze statue about a legend of a nearby village.

Samcheok also has a number of old caves. The 6.2-kilometer-long Hwaseongul Cave is the largest limestone cave in Asia. Daegeumgul Cave can be accessed by monorail, which goes as far as 140 meters inside the cave. For more information, call (033) 570-3846.

(Source: Korea Tourism Organization)

How to get there:

- By bus: Take a bus from Gyeongbu Express Terminal to Samcheok Terminal or from Dong Seoul Terminal to Samcheok Terminal. It will take about three and a half hours. From Samcheok Terminal to Jangho Beach, take a local bus and it will take 40 minutes.

- By car: Take the Donghae Express Way, exit at Donghae Toll Gate, take a national road No. 7 and head to Yonghwa IC. Follow the sign, “Jangho-ri Fishing Experience Village.”

Related websites:

- tour.samcheok.go.kr

- www.jhbada.com

- www.oceanrailbike.com

By Kim Yoon-mi (yoonmi@heraldcorp.com)