Namhae Island is the 5th largest island in Korea and is known for it’s stunning natural beauty and no shortage of things to do. With a large portion of Namhae Island being part of the Hallyeohaesang National Park, there are stunning beaches, beautiful coastal drives and more. Through this article, we will highlight just a few of the Top things to do in Namhae Island during the Spring Season.
Top Things to do in Namhae Island
1. Visit Gacheon Daraengi Village
The first Top Things to in Namhae Island is to visit Gacheon Daraengi Village. This picturesque village is located on the slopes of a mountain and is terraced for rice harvesting. These terraces are located right up against the beautiful South Sea and provides you with great photo opportunities at every corner.
Among these slopes are homes and businesses and small alleyways which you can walk between. With beautiful murals, coffeeshops, and restaurants you can spend quite a bit of time here just enjoying the peacefulness of it all the taking in the beauty of the Southern Coast of Korea.
The road that you take to get here is also very scenic and is one of the representative scenic roads of Korea. It hugs the coast and provides nice vantage points the whole way.
One of the best times to visit the Gacheon Daraengi Village is during the spring time when the cherry blossoms and yellow Canola Flowers blossom. Because of it’s Southern location, this is one of the first spots in mainland Korea to see these blooms. Typically they will start to bloom by the middle to end of March.
To see where the Daraengi Village is and how to get there, you can check out the map below for reference. The map below is the best place to park and is a free parking lot:
2. Cherry Blossoms near Wangji Village
The 2nd Top Things to do in Namhae Island is to enjoy the Cherry Blossoms along the road near Wangji Village.
Cherry Blossoms in Korea are famous, and Namhae has a great spot to see them along the roads leading up to and near Wangji Village along the north side of the island near the bridge crossing to the mainland. The roads here are lined with thousands of cherry blossoms and when in full bloom they create beautiful cherry blossom tunnels which make great photos.
I highly recommend to visit here during the week if possible as during peak season the roads can get busy and you won’t be able to take as nice of photos. Especially during the week in the morning, there aren’t many cars and so you can take photos of the road with just the cherry blossoms and nothing else. Either way, be careful when taking the photos and always look out for traffic.
Typically the cherry trees will blossom from mid to late march. These days it’s getting earlier, so it’s best to check the news and instagram to see if they trees have blossomed fully.
Also, with this being right by the ocean, it’s one of the few spots in Korea where you can see so many cherry blossoms lined up right beside the blue sea.
It’s highly recommended to have your own car as it will make things most convenient getting here. There is some public transportation, but it is infrequent. To see where exactly the cherry blossoms are, check out the map below.
3. Visit Boriam Hermitage on Mount Geumsan
The 3rd Top Things to do in Namhae Island is to visit Boriam Hermitage on Mount Geumsan.
This Hermitage/Temple on top of Mount Geumsan is probably one of the most popular things to do in Namhae and is becoming a hot spot for instagram photos as well. A large part of this is due to the ease of access to get here and also it’s stunning location right of the side of the mountain among rocks and cliffs with views out over the South Sea and Hallyeohaesang National Park.
To get here, there are two ways.
- You can climb the mountain. With various paths up the mountain, this is the free and longer way to get to Boriam. Most paths up the mountain would take a couple of hours and most of the paths are steep with stairs and rocks. If you aren’t short on time though, this is a good way to get in exercise, save some money and slowly enjoy the surroundings around you. To see just one of the options for where to start your hike, check out the ㅣlink to the map here. This parking lot is free and there are bathrooms at the parking lot for you to use before you start your climb.
- The second option for getting to the hermitage is to just about drive there. There is a road that leads up almost to the summit to what is considered parking lot #2. When it’s not super busy at Boriam, you first will drive to parking lot #1 and then from there you may have to wait in a short line before being allowed to continue to parking lot #2. The road from parking lot #1 to parking lot #2 is relatively steep in sections, but it’s wide enough for 2 cars so doesn’t feel super dangerous. We went in a Hyundai Avante and made it fine. From the 2nd parking lot, it’s a 20 minute easy hike to the hermitage. Please click this link for the map of the 1st parking lot.
During the weekend, it gets very busy and you may have to wait a long time in line to get to the 2nd parking lot. So typically when that happens, a lot of people will park at the 1st parking lot and from there, there is a shuttle bus which will drive you up to the 2nd parking lot. I highly recommend this option if you find that it’s a busy weekend.
Also, just a note that while driving there are fees for parking and also if you do need to take the shuttle bus, there are also fees for that. Also, just a note, that some days the shuttle bus doesn’t run if it’s not busy enough and also on days where the shuttle bus does run, it only leaves when full. For the cost though, in total, it should be less the 10,000KRW even when taking the shuttle bus.
So when you have reached the temple/hermitage, we recommend exploring and going beyond the hermitage for some of the best views. If you follow the path to the right of the hermitage, it will take you to some beautiful outcrops and great vantage points.
Also, there is a small snack shop along that way as well which has become famous for its views while eating a nice cup of ramen and kimchi pancake.
4. Canola Flower Fields at Dumo Village
The 4th Top things to do in Namhae Island during the spring season is to visit the Canola flower fields at Dumo Village.
Dumo Village is located on the southern side of the island right by the ocean and is known for it’s fields of Canola flowers during the spring time. The fields turn yellow and when contrasted with the blue sky it makes for beautiful photographs.
The best time to visit here is mid to late march as that is when the flowers will be in peak bloom and you will also have some cherry blossoms too.
To get here, take a look at the map below. There are places to park along the road down to Dumo Village or you can park at the parking lot for climbing Geumsan and walk about 5 minutes to get to the canola flower fields.
Where to Stay in Namhae Island
If you are looking for where to stay in Namhae, there is no shortage of options these days. From guesthouses and pensions to 5 star upscale resorts and pool villas, you can take your choice depending on budget. Feel free to use the agoda.com search box below to see what may be available when you want to travel there.
*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links through booking.com and agoda.com, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link.
So there you have it. Four great things to do while visiting Namhae Island during the Spring season. There is so much more beyond this, like visiting the German Village, challenging yourself on a skywalk or visiting the vast amount of beaches on the island. Whatever you decide to do, Namhae is a great place to vacation while in South Korea. If you have any questions or comments, please let us know in the comment box below.
