Udo
When you drive along the coastal road of Jongdalri, Gujwa-eup,
Jeju City, you will see an island that resembles a cow lying down
with its long tail on the sea.
The name of the island is Udo (“cow island” in Chinese).
When spring comes, Udo appears as if it is covered with a vivid patchwork of
yellow, brown, and light green clothes woven with a black thread.
Fields of yellow canola flowers and various vegetables, along
with stone walls, create a spectacular view of Mother Nature.
Udobong Peak, which forms the shape of a cow’s head,
is a hill that even children can climb at ease.
It is one of Udo’s must-see sights.
While climbing it, you will be awed by the magnificent coastal scenery
and the Seongsan Ilchulbong across the sea.
There are three beaches that you must check out in Udo.
Each beach has a unique feature,
so their presence on one island is hard to believe.
Seobinbaeksa Beach, which is next to the emerald sea,
is also called Coral Beach because it is filled
with breathtakingly white coral grains (rhodolith).
As rhodolith beaches are rare not only in Korea but also
in the world, the beach was designated as Korea’s
Natural Monument No. 438 in 2004.
Geommeolle(black sand in Jeju dialect) Beach is known for its
black sand and coastal cliff of which stratified layers are exposed.
If you visit the beach at low tide,
you should check out a sea cave called Dongangyeonggul.
It is also the venue of the Udo Cave Musical Concert held every autumn.
Hagosudong Beach, the so-called Saipan Beach of Korea,
boasts of soft, flour-like white sand.
While there, you should also try Udo’s specialties—murex and peanut ice cream.
Udo has recently restricted the entrance of rental cars and charter
buses to protect the environment.
You can instead travel conveniently by riding an Udo shuttle bus or
renting a scooter