[WEEKEND GETAWAY] Seek out the first signs of spring on Jeju Island

K-campus

Published: 10 Mar. 2023, 09:15 Updated: 17 Mar. 2023, 14:11

[WEEKEND GETAWAY] Seek out the first signs of spring on Jeju Island

Noksan Flower Road is surrounded by splashes of pink and yellow in the spring. [JEJU TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

Every year, spring starts in the south and slowly makes its way up the country. You cannot get further south in Korea than Jeju Island, making it the best place to seek out the first signs of spring.

Standing at the southern end of the Korean peninsula, Jeju Island is one of the warmest regions in the country and its flora naturally blossoms faster than the rest of the country. If you haven’t visited the island yet, now is the perfect time to try as it’s transforming into a wild spring garden.

Here are four recommendations of place to go on Jeju Island to feel like the main character starring in a music video, spring garden edition.

Hueree Natural Park

Plum blossoms act as early spring's major attraction at Hueree Natural Park. [YONHAP]

Hueree Natural Park, located in Seogwipo, southern Jeju, promises a tranquil experience, built to serve as both a chance for laidback relaxation and industrious sightseeing. The park currently runs two flower festivals — a plum blossom festival and a canola flower festival.

The park is better known for the plum blossom festival, which is open until March 24. The canola flower festival lasts longer as it stays open until April 15. Visitors can see shades of pink and yellow if they go to the park during the period when both blossoms are visible. Located at the edge of Mount Halla, the landscape is guaranteed to be beautiful as you will be exposed to an open mountain view.

@jeju_hueree
256 Sillyedong-ro Namwon-eup, Seogwipo, Jeju Island
Business Hours: March to September, 9:00 a.m. – 5: 30 p.m., October to February, 9:00 a.m. – 4: 30 p.m.
Admission Fee: 13,000 won for adults, 11,000 won for juniors (middle and high school students), 10,000 won for children (up to elementary school students). Groups of 30 or more receive 2,000 won discounts per ticket. Families with three or more children receive 50 percent discount.
Phone number: 064) 732-2114
Website: http://www.hueree.com/index.php

Seopjikoji

Pheonix Seopjikoji presents Glass House surrounded by canola flowers. [PHOENIX HOTEL&RESORT]

Seopjikoji derives from the combination of the word seopji in the Jeju dialect, meaning narrow land or land that brings many talented offspring, and koji, meaning a cape. It is a beautiful section of coastline along the east of Jeju and is at the top of everyone’s Jeju tour list. It turns even more charming with canola flower fields stretching out over 13,000 square meters at Phoenix Seopjikoji.

In Seopjikoji, you should definitely check out the main tourist spots, one of them being Glass House by Ando Tadao, a modern Japanese architect. It is a two-story structure that has a terrace garden highlighting the view of the Jeju sunset and glass walls embracing the sunlight. The second spot is the Yumin Art Nouveau Collection that presents glasswork collected over decades starting from the twentieth century.

The finale of the visit is the peak of Bulgeunoreum, which means red volcanic cone in the Jeju dialect. It was named after the red lava deposits that formed a cone shape. The view from here overlooks the sea and is constantly sought after by tourists and locals eager to witness the beauty of Jeju Island.

107, Seopjikoji-ro, Seogwipo, Jeju Island

Noksan Flower Road

Noksan Flower Road serves as one of the best drive courses to take in the view of the spring flowers. [YONHAP]

Driving next to an endless row of colorful cherry blossoms is truly the most seasonal activity you can do for the upcoming spring. Noksan Road, or Noksan-ro Canola Flower Road among tourists, is one of the best places to drive on Jeju Island.

Walls of pink cherry blossom trees standing behind dense canola flower blossoms create a scenic view, driving people into a dreamy experience. You can run into people posing in particularly popular spots, having stopped to capture the moment. March is the best time to go, if not the only time to go, if you are anticipating a huge amount of flowers. The flowers are most impressive this month, before the spring heat intensifies.

87-16 Gasi-ri, Pyoseon-myeon, Seogwipo, Jeju Island

Sanghyowon Botanical Garden

Visitors enjoy a sunny trip to Sanghyowon Botanical Garden. [NEWS1]

People who are searching for a scenic and nature-friendly getaway on the island may already be acquainted with Sanghyowon Botanical Garden, which is a massive orchard located in Seogwipo. It has a variety of flowers throughout the garden, but the tulip garden is the most stunning from the end of March to mid April.

Pops of bright red, white, yellow and pink draw keen minds to the garden. The tulip festival is open until April 9 and includes 20 types of tulips, totaling around 30,000 flowers out to impress the visitors. There is a tour train that takes passengers around the main route of the orchard, so that visitors in family groups can choose an easy course to take a look around.

@jejusanghyowon
2847-37, Sallongnam-ro, Seogwipo, Jeju Island
Business Hours: March to September, 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., October to February, 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Tickets sold until one hour before closing time.
Admission Fee: 9,000 won for adults (ages 19 and over), 7,000 won for seniors (ages 65 and over) and middle, high school students, 5,000 won for children (36 months old to elementary school students)
Phone number: 064) 733-2200
Website: http://sanghyowon.com/