[WEEKEND GETAWAY] Warm up this winter season in one of the country's hot springs

K-campus

Published: 16 Dec. 2022, 14:43 Updated: 03 Mar. 2023, 18:14

[WEEKEND GETAWAY] Warm up this winter season in one of the country's hot springs

Visitors can take in the view of Haeundae Beach while taking a dip in the warm water of the infinity spa at Paradise Hotel Ocean Spa Cimer in Busan. [BAEK JONG-HYUN]

What could be more enjoyable than a trip to the hot springs during the frigid winter months? Once you dip your body into the warm water, the cold and fatigue will melt away.

For the past three years, hot springs businesses have struggled due to the pandemic. However, this winter is different as the industry is regaining its vitality as the country shifts to an endemic phase. There are several hot springs around the country that are famous for having good water quality, but where you choose to visit will depend on what you want to do while you're there. If you wish to visit hot springs for Instagram-worthy pictures and to have fun, you can visit spa facilities operated by luxury hotels and resorts. If the purpose of your visit is to take care of your body, you should visit the traditional kind.

Here is a list of famous hot springs across the country and what they have to offer.

Paradise Hotel Busan's Ocean Spa Cimer is completely surrounded by Haeundae Beach. [BAEK JONG-HYUN]

Paradise Hotel Busan – Ocean Spa Cimer

Busan is home to several hot springs. According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s data from this year, there are 67 registered hot springs in the area — second only to the North Gyeongsang region which has 91 registered hot springs. The number of people visiting luxury hotels in Busan for their hot springs has begun to increase in recent times.

A good example of this is Paradise Hotel Busan’s Ocean Spa Cimer. Paradise Hotel Busan was the first hotel that introduced a European-style hot springs in Busan where visitors don swimsuits to take a dip in the warm water.

“More than 70 percent of hotel guests purchase Ocean Spa Cimer packages,” said a spokesperson for Paradise Hotel Busan.

The number of visitors actually increased since the pandemic with 2,000 more visitors on average monthly. Currently, the average number of visitors who visit the hotel’s spa is around 17,000.

At the Aqua Bar at Paradise Hotel Busan's Ocean Spa Cimer, visitors can enjoy various exotic drinks and bites to eat while staying warm inside the water. [BAEK JONG-HYUN]

Ocean Spa Cimer is located on the fourth floor of the hotel’s main building. As it is an infinity spa, you can take in the view of Haeundae Beach and as long as you get the angle right, you can get a photo of yourself placed on the horizon between the sky and sea. You can also enjoy various exotic drinks and bites while staying warm inside the springs at the hotel’s Aqua Bar.

Paradise Hotel Busan’s Ocean Spa Cimer is a guest-only facility and is not open to outside visitors.

@busan.paradisehotel
296 Haeundaehaebyeon-ro, Haeundae District, Busan
Admission fee: Adults: 33,000 won ($25.40) / Children (up to age 13): 16,500 won

Business hours (All spa facilities of the hotel are closed on the fourth Wednesday of every month):

[Ocean Spa Cimer]
[Session 1] 8 a.m. – 11:10 a.m.
[Session 2] 11:30 a.m. – 2:40 p.m.
[Session 3] 3 p.m. – 6:10 p.m.
[Session 4] 6:30 p.m. – 9:50 p.m.

[Aqua Bar]
Beverages: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Food: 11:30 a.m. – 7:40 p.m.

Website: https://www.busanparadisehotel.co.kr/front/facility/spaparacimer
Phone number: (051) 749-2358

Ananti Cove Water House's unique design makes it look more like a hotel lounge than a hot spring facility. [BAEK JONG-HYUN]

Ananti Cove – Water House

Busan’s Gijang County, is growing in popularity as a vacation spot in Busan. And in the county is Ananti Cove, a luxury resort with another European-style hot springs, also known as Water House.

At first glance, Water House looks more like a hotel lounge than a hot springs. The 2,000 pyeong (6,612 square meters) facility includes a restaurant and a giant maze-like spa connected together along a smooth curve. Due to its unique design, it has established itself as another popular photo spot with its media art walls that resemble a rainforest.

Another feature that makes Ananti Cove's Water House unique is its media art walls that resemble the rainforest. [BAEK JONG-HYUN]

As Water House’s water temperature is around 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), it is a low-temperature hot springs that won't make you sweat. Water House may not be for those who prefer their hot springs to be a high temperature but it's perfect for those looking to make some content for their social media accounts.

@ananti_life
268-31 Gijanghaean-ro, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan

Admission fee:

[All-Day]
Weekdays: 79,000 won for adults, 40,000 won for children (up to age 13)
Weekends and peak holiday season: 97,000 won for adults, 48,000 won for children

[Daytime (for four hours)]
Weekdays: 60,000 won for adults, 30,000 won for children
Weekends and peak holiday season: 79,000 won for adults, 40,000 won for children

[Nighttime (after 6 p.m.)]
Weekdays: 32,000 won for adults, 16,000 won for children
Weekends and peak holiday season: 57,000 won for adults, 29,000 won for children

Peak holiday season applies from July to August and December to February. If you download the app “Ananti,” you can avail of a Welcome Coupon for Daytime visitors only that offers a 30 percent discount for a maximum of two people.

Business hours: 9 a.m. – 10 p.m. (Nighttime Pass applies from 6 p.m.)
Website: https://ananti.kr/en/cove/waterhouse
Phone number: (051) 604-7000

Dukgu Hot Spring and Spa has been designated as a recuperation spring by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and is the only spa in Korea that uses water that naturally resurfaces from the ground below. [SON MIN-HO]

Dukgu Oncheon Resort Hotel – Dukgu Hot Spring and Spa

Uljin County in North Gyeongsang is home to what many would consider a classic hot springs. The county has two hot springs that come with several legends and anecdotes.

One of Uljin County’s representative hot springs is Dukgu Hot Spring and Spa, which has also been designated as recuperation springs by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Dukgu Hot Spring and Spa is the only spa in Korea that uses water that naturally resurges to the surface from the ground below. When it surges from below, the water is around 42.4 degrees Celsius and Dukgu Hot Spring and Spa does not reheat the water throughout the day. Because it uses natural spring water, the spa is especially famous for having positive effects for those who suffer with eczema or other skin conditions.

The indoor and outdoor spa facilities at Dukgu Hot Spring and Spa's Spa World offer something for everyone. [SON MIN-HO]

Dukgu Hot Spring and Spa is located inside a hotel and resort accommodation, so visitors can also book a room to stay in after warming up their bodies in the hot water. The Spa World facilities, with an indoor and outdoor spa and a small swimming pool, means there is something for everyone. Thanks to its various facilities, Dukgu Hot Spring and Spa managed to attract a fair amount of visitors over the past three years. While there were around 60 percent less visitors in 2019, according to the spa’s general manager, the number of visitors has been gradually increasing since then.

@dukgu42.4c
924 Deokguoncheon-ro, Buk-myeon, Uljin-gun, North Gyeongsang

Admission fee:

[Dukgu Hot Spring]
Adults: 9,000 won
Children: 6,000 won (up to age 13)

[Dukgu Spa World]

[Off-season]
Weekdays: 20,000 won for adults, 13,000 won for children
Weekends: 30,000 won for adults, 21,000 won for children

[Peak holiday season]
Adults: 36,000 won
Children: 28,000 won

Peak holiday season applies from mid-December to March 1, mid-July to August and during the Chuseok holiday.

Business hours:

Dukgu Hot Spring: 6 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Dukgu Spa World: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. on weekdays, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. on weekends and peak holiday season

Website: https://www.dukgu.com/dg/ (only in Korean)

Phone number: (054) 782-0677

Baegam Hot Springs has a deep-rooted history that reaches back 1,000 years, as there is a record that it was discovered during the Unified Silla period (668-935). [SON MIN-HO]

Hanwha Resort Baegam Hot Springs

Baegam Hot Springs has a deep-rooted history that goes back 1,000 years, as there is a record that it was discovered during the Unified Silla period (668-935). While hot springs in Korea were developed after the Japanese colonial era (1910-1945), Baegam Hot Springs began operating in 1917, even before the Japanese began opening up hot springs businesses in Haeundae, Busan. Baegam Hot Springs is located in Onjeong-myeon — onjeong means a village with warm waters. This district is unique as it is designated entirely as a hot springs district because it is surrounded by Baegam Hot Springs.

A foot bath at Hanwha Resort Baegam Hot Springs [SON MIN-HO]

The hot springs business in Onjeong-myeon was severely affected by the pandemic and rarely opened over the past three years due to a lack of visitors to the area. Even Hanwha Resort Baegam Hot Springs, which is one of the representative hot springs businesses in the area, struggled to keep its business afloat. After repeatedly opening and closing the resort, it has started to operate without any closing days starting this year, but only 120 rooms out of the 250 available in the facility are currently in operation.

There are businesses other than Hanwha Resort Baegam Hot Springs that also run hot springs facilities in the area. If you wish to visit elsewhere, be sure to do your research to find some alternative options.

@hanwharesort_story
129-13 Oncheon-ro, Onjeong-myeon, Uljin-gun, North Gyeongsang

Admission fee:

[Guests]
Adults: 8,000 won
Children (up to age 12): 7,000 won

[Non-guests]
Adults: 12,000 won
Children: 10,000 won

Business hours: 6 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, 6 a.m. – 9 p.m. from Friday to Saturday
Website: http://bitly.ws/xPLi (only in Korean)
Phone number: (054) 780-8718

Seorak Waterpia's Night Spa opened for the first time this year, and is especially popular among visitors in their twenties and thirties. [CHOI SEOUNG-PYO]

Hanwha Resort Seorak - Seorak Waterpia

Seorak Waterpia opened its doors to the public in 1997 and was designated as recuperation springs by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in 2009. Due to its waterpark facilities, 80 percent of Seorak Waterpia visitors are families with children.

Seorak Waterpia visitors enjoy a bath inside the Night Spa's pools. [CHOI SEOUNG-PYO]

Seorak Waterpia’s Spa Valley has 18 different hot springs pools. It closed in April 2019 for seven months due to wildfires. When it reopened, eight additional hot springs pools were added with different themes, such as Iceland Blue Lagoon and New Zealand Rotorua. The Night Spa, which opened for the first time this year, is especially popular among visitors in their twenties and thirties for its 100 different-colored lights that illuminate the baths.

@hanwha_seorak
111 Misiryeong-ro, 2982 beon-gil, Sokcho, Gangwon

Admission fee (due to change after December 16):

[All-day pass]
Adults: 55,000 won
Children: 43,000 won (up to age 13)

[Afternoon pass]
Adults: 46,500 won
Children: 36,500 won

[Night Spa only]
Adults: 40,000 won
Children: 30,000 won

Business hours (due to change after December 16):

Daytime: 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Night: 7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Website: https://www.hanwharesort.co.kr/irsweb/resort3/eng/tpark/tp_intro.do?tp_cd=0100
Phone number: (033) 630-5800

Sono Felice Del Pino’s infinity pool located on the 11th floor of Sono Felice’s East tower is a popular photo spot. [CHOI SEOUNG-PYO]

Sono Felice Del Pino – Ocean Play & Infinity Pool

Sono Felice Del Pino, a resort affiliated with Daemyung Resort and Hotel is the first hot springs resort established by the company. It is not recuperation springs like the other hot springs that were previously introduced, but still guarantees high water quality. Sono Felice Del Pino also has a water park called Ocean Play, offering visitors the best of both worlds.

At Sono Felice Del Pino's Water Play, visitors can enjoy pool and spa facilities. [CHOI SEOUNG-PYO]

Sono Felice Del Pino’s infinity pool located on the 11th floor of Sono Felice’s East tower is a popular photo spot, especially for young visitors who visit the resort. Only visitors from 19 and up are permitted to enter. The infinity pool also boasts an excellent view of the Ulsanbawi Rock and from the mini pool on the same floor, visitors can also see a view of a nearby beach. The infinity pool’s water is pumped from Seorak all year long, so is guaranteed to be of high quality.

@sonohotels
1153 Misiryeongyet-gil, Toseong-myeon, Goseong-gun, Gangwon

Admission fee (These prices are applicable up to Dec. 31):

[Ocean Play – All-day pass, applicable for Naver Booking only]
Adults: 24,900 won
Children: 22,900 won (up to age 13)

[Infinity Pool]
Weekdays: 35,000 won
Weekends: 50,000 won

Business hours:

[Ocean Play]
Sauna: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. on weekdays, 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. on weekends
Indoor pool: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on weekdays, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. on weekends
Outdoor pool: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on weekdays, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on weekends

[Infinity Pool]
10 a.m. – 6 p.m. (Admission is limited 30 minutes before closing time)

Website: https://www.sonohotelsresorts.com/dp/ (only in Korean)

Phone number:
Ocean Play: (033) 639-3400
Infinity Pool: (033) 639-3426

BY LEE JUNG-JOO, SON MIN-HO, CHOI SEOUNG-PYO, BAEK JONG-HYUN [lee.jungjoo@joongang.co.kr]