Korea — Yeosu is the Best Seaside Town

What surrounds us is what is within us. ― T.F. Hodge. Maybe he was talking about this town in South Jeolla Province (Jeollanamdo)?

Jeollanamdo Yeosu is the Best Seaside Town

Hugging the Jeollanamdo coastline, Yeosu is a small Korean city whose notoriety has spiked thanks to the World Expo held in 2012. When walking around, one won’t take long to find reminders of the event through signs and advertisements plastered all over the city. The Expo site sits in a valley and from the surrounding mountains, the first thing that jumps out is a heart-shaped body of water surrounding the “Big O.”

Islands

Even further south is Dolsan, a large island connected by bridge and beyond that are 300+ islands, most of which are reachable by ferry. Dolsan’s highlight — Hyangiram — is a Buddhist Hermitage overlooking the ocean and home to one of Korea’s most scenic sunrise viewpoints. But that’s just the start of seeing things from above in Yeosu. It’s best to go up and look down from the many mountains dominating this city’s landscape, if one wants to truly understand this place.

History Abounds

Yeosu is a perfect spot to live, with lots to do and more to see. Keeping one’s mind and body active is never a challenge with so much beauty to be found in the mountains and on the water. Life is never boring here, for so many reasons. Korea is full of interesting historical sites but Yeosu stands out, thanks to the famous Admiral Yi Sun Shin using this area as his base. Both his shipyard and naval headquarters are preserved within the city.

Beautiful Seaside Views

Some might say Korean cities are cookie-cutter and that is true in some situations. Yeosu is a fishing town but one common sight upon entering at night is the massive industrial complex that provides so many jobs and much wealth to people here. Beautiful seaside views come in many forms through hikes and drives along the coast, with too many beach entrances to name. Of course not all are swimmable but just having a moment to stare at the waves crashing into the earth helps one escape the demanding and trivial parts of life happening elsewhere.

Food

Jeollanamdo hosts Korea’s best food and Yeosu doesn’t deviate from the area’s reputation. Barbecue restaurants are standard in every city but in Yeosu, seafood is the specialty. Fish markets scattered throughout the city lead to interesting finds and shellfish farms can be spotted all over. Dolsan’s very own Gat Kimchi is a treat for those looking for some spice and a regional take on Korea’s most famous fermented dish.

Spread throughout a tiny peninsula with various distinct and small communities, there’s nowhere like this city. Yeosu is a beautiful, seaside town hugging Korea’s southwest coast. It’s full of history and wonderful sights all around.

What do you think of Yeosu? Does it sound like the kind of place you’d visit? Let me know what you think in the comments section below:)

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