buan jeokbyeokgang cliffs

The cliff looks like a lion's head

buan jeokbyeokgang cliffs of byeonsanbando

Buan Jeokbyeokgang Cliffs is a designated national scenic site in South Korea. It is located in the famous Byeonsanbando National Park of Buan-gun, Jeolla-bukdo.

I reached the area by hiking from Jeokpo-ri (town) following the hiking trails recommended by the local tourism official agency. The hiking course is fantastic!

It was an amazing hike as you would be trekking a trail by the seaside. You will have both the sea and land all the way to this cliff.

who can go there

The trail is easy except for quick ascents at some points. However, I would say that the trail going to Buan Jeokbyeokgang Cliffs are suitable only for teens and adults: not for small children.

I said that because although hiking the beach-side sounds easy, but the rugged, uneven, and challenging ancient rock formations could be dangerous to small kids.

As you can see in the photos here, only adults and physically agile can walk over them. Besides the rocks could be slippery due to the seawater even during the low tide.

If you really want your small kids to hike, decide to use the trails up on the land. Or, you may go straight to the Cliffs buy bus or private vehicle.

how to get there

It is a lot easier to get there when you are driving with your vehicle (or rented one).

But if you are a traveler and a hiker, you can get off at anywhere along Byeonsan-ro (road) and walk towards the area.

What I did was hiked from Gyeokpo-ri, where the bus terminal is located. Also, it is the last bus stop.

Gyeokpo-ri is where you can find choices of accommodation, small shops, convenient stores, fish markets, seafood restaurants, restaurants serving local dishes, and travel information centers.

So, if you wanna know, here’s my trail…

I took a bus from Buan (near Buan Bus Terminal) and got off at Gyeokpo-ri Bus Terminal then hiked the following interesting sites…

Dakibong Peak Observatory (nice small mountain peak with panoramic vistas, including the Gyeokpo Port and Gyeokpo Beach area)
Gyeokpo Beach (wide beach area with facilities and information center about the sea life and geosites)
Chaeseokgang Cliffs (rock formations along the beach, also a tourism site as a geosite)
Jukmak Village (small village with bamboos protecting the area from the harsh cold sea winds) and pass by the silver magnolia trees that serve as wind-breakers

Here are the distances per points mentioned above:

Dalkibong Peak to Chaeseokgang Cliffs: 1.9 kilometers
Chaeseokgang Cliffs to Jeokbyeokgang: 1.3 kilometers

It means that the total distance you would hike is only around 3.2 kilometers.

Yes, that sounds pretty close and easy to accomplish. But let me tell you that walking along the seaside and on top of the rugged rock formations is quite challenging.

I know, I’ve done that. It’s a bit scary if you trip. Some areas have sharp rocks. So, please be very careful. That is why I don’t recommend small kids to follow this trail.

However, the various rock formations were very interesting to me. I got very excited to find very different shapes and piles of rocks. Actually, layers of rocks with different ages. They are millions of years old. Imagine!

Buan Jeokbyeokgang Cliffs

I have not read any description about the shape of this cliff. I see a tiger’s head. It even has a half body. Probably I am so obsessed with seeing forms of rocks or other inanimate things and associate them with living beings :)!

See for yourself the photo.

Anyhow, you should get to Yongdusan Mountain where the cliff is attached. On this mountain, you will enjoy a field of colorful flowers (came here in the middle of winter?no flowers nor plants!).

In this field you will see…

Cosmos flowers during autumn season,
Barley during summer season, and
Yellow Canola flowers (rape flowers) during spring season.

Then, if you are interested, you can drop by at Suseongdang (another cliff area and with structures for offering prayers for the deceased). You will also have a great view of the sea and the cliff sides.

Then, continue walking towards Jeokbyeokgang passing through some short rough trails. When trying to observe the cliff, be careful because there are no protective railings (as of this writing).

Selfie-lovers…take care!

The best location or position to observe the cliff is by the parking area. You can also see the description of this natural monument in this location.

Wooden steps are available for those who want to explore the rocky seaside and see the cliff from there.

site facilities

Basic but useful facilities are also available onsite for free:

Washroom is available at Soseongdang. But this is basically for the people managing the facility.
Public washroom is available at the parking area by the road.
Entrance to Jeokbyeokgang is free.
Parking space is also available (not sure if it is for free).

where to stay

If you wish to travel more around the national park, I recommend that you stayed in Gyeokpo-ri area, where the bus terminal is located.

The reason is that you have many choices of accommodations: hotels, condo style room, pensions, minbak (local homes).

Besides, there are some excellent and entertaining places to explore in the evening in the area. One is the Gyeokpo Port (a famous fishing village port area) where you can stroll around.

The port is with lampposts, and you will also see the reflections of lights from the fishing boats in the water.

Also, you can sing, play billiards, buy food and beverages, or spend the evening at the local beer house.

More Interesting Sites in Byeonsanbando

If you decide to visit Buan Jeokbyeokgang Cliffs, you should also take the opportunity the other best and worth-seeing sites in Byeonsanbando National Park.

Some of the most popular ones include:

Gyeokpo Beach
Byeonsan Beach
Naesosa Temple
Jikso Waterfalls
Saemangeum Exhibition Center
Gaeamsa Temple
Dongho Beach

For more information and other national parks in South Korea, you may use the following details:

Phone: +82-63-582-7808
Website: english.knps.or.kr

Grateful for reading down to this part of the article. Hope you have an enjoyable and safe journey!

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