Geumodo Island is located off the coast of Yeosu, Jeollanam-do Province.
By Jung Joo-ri and Lee Jihae
Photos = Jung Joo-ri
Yeosu | June 24, 2019
Surrounded by water on three sides, the Korean Peninsula has 3,348 islands ranging from the well-known Jeju Island and the Dokdo islets to those uninhabited. All of the islands have varying locations, sizes and charms.
A Korea.net staff writer on June 24 spent the night on Geumodo Island, located off the coast of Yeosu, Jeollanam-do Province. This small island has 1,625 residents and is connected by a bridge to Ando Island (452 residents), allowing one to drive between the islands to enjoy both.
Bireong-gil Road is along the coastal cliffs of Geumodo Island. Shown here is a scenic view from the spot Miyeok Neolbang on the road's Course 1.
Enjoying the sea and regional seafood cuisine
Geumodo Island is 15 minutes by boat from Yeosu's Dolsan Port. The first thing to do after getting off the dock at Yeongcheon Port is to stroll along Bireong-gil Road, a trekking course long walked by locals. The road consists of five courses with a combined distance of 18.5 km, with each course taking about two hours to cover. Spanning high-altitude cliffs, the route features a cool breeze and gorgeous view of the sea.
Siler root flowers abound in June on Geumodo Island.
An abundance of green leaves and white flowers are seen along Bireong-gil Road in summer. The flowers are bangpung namul (siler roots), the island's specialty, with the Chinese characters for bangpung indicating that the plant prevents strokes.
Gathered in April, the leaves are eaten as food while the roots are used as medicinal herbs with a distinctly bitter taste. Restaurants on the island also serve side dishes and pajeon (pancakes) made with such flowers, and visitors can also enjoy bangpung tea at a rest area on Bireong-gil Road.
Signs for minbak (traditional private inn) are common on the coasts and docks of Ando Island, located off the coast of Yeosu, Jeollanam-do Province.
Staying overnight and receiving a Korean-style welcome
After enjoying the day on the island, visitors need accommodations. Whereas big islands such as Jeju-do have a wide variety of choices like hotels and pensions, smaller ones typically have the minbak (traditional private inn), which offers lodging in private homes. Commonly seen in towns at beaches or on mountains, the minbak is a good way to experience a form of traditional Korean lodging relatively rare in urban areas.
To stay at a minbak, one must directly visit it or call beforehand to confirm a vacancy. Such inns are usually located at ports or beaches popular among travelers and have large signs. Visitors can inspect the rooms and haggle over price.
The highlight of staying in a minbak on an island is fresh seafood caught right nearby.
Another major attraction of a minbak on an island is that many of them have in-house restaurants with unique cuisines. Fresh seafood caught from nearby waters and side dishes made from seasonal vegetables abound on the table. The large number of side dishes makes them difficult to count, reflecting the warm welcome of visitors by locals.
Traveling on a small island is not without inconvenience. The lack of public transportation makes car rental a necessity, internet connection and cell phone reception can be weak, and restaurants and minbak often only accept cash. Yet these minor annoyances could be seen as pros rather than cons.
Geumodo Island offers several prime spots for taking great photos.
