Summer vacation is a perfect time for active leisure. Even though extremely hot weather probably does not encourage you to leave a room, it’s really worth going out and enjoys the beauty of Korea. And nothing is better for it than a bike trip!
In order to start this amazing adventure, I highly recommend two things:
buying a used bike — you can easily buy it on Facebook groups for foreigners or the application called Karrot Market (당근 마켓)
getting a bike passport — you can order the passport on the website https://www.riverguide.go.kr/eng/page.do?menuIdx=630
Having a bike passport makes everything even more fun!
The passport will be delivered to you with a map of cycle tracks all around Korea. The best aspect of having the passport and completing each route is that on your way you collect stamps. Believe me, getting a cute stamp in your passport is an additional motivation for riding more even when you’re tired.
Last week I choose a picturesque route called 동해안 자전거길, which leads along the east coast. The route is divided into two parts — one is located in North Gyeongsang Province and the second in Gangwon Province. You can start wherever you want — for me and my friend, it was Yeongdeok Sunrise Park (영덕 해맟이공원).
How to get there?
Bicycles can be transported by bus.
Bus from Dong Seoul Terminal to Yeongdeok costs 28,700 won
Bus from Seoul Express Bus Terminal to Yeongdeok costs 32,00 won
Bus from Daegu to Yeongdeok costs 13,700 won
Bus from Busan to Yeongdeok costs 15,600 won
From Yeongdeok Bus Terminal you have to ride to the starting point — Yeongdeok Sunrise Park (영덕 해맟이공원).
The route is not easy, as there are quite a lot of hills along the way (especially hard on hot days!). Yet, it’s exceptionally beautiful. While riding, you can admire the stunning sea landscape and picturesque small villages.
Whenever you need a break, you can chill somewhere at the seaside. We had some relaxing time on a small beach, where literally nobody else was. After deeping our feet in the cooling water, we spontaneously decided to have a swim in the sea wearing just our pajamas and only seagulls could see us!
As for food, this is probably one of the best opportunities to try a crab, as a king crab (대게) is a local specialty and a symbol of the Uljin area. You can find not only restaurants serving a crab but also its statues! However, those who aren’t fans of seafood, no need to worry. There are many nice places with a variety of delicious Korean food on the way.
The route is 76 km long and is easily manageable to finish within one day. It has its end in Uljin’s famous spot, which is Uljin Sweet Fish Bridge (울진은어다리).
What next?
You can ride further, to the next station located in Imwon in Gangwondo. If you decide to finish in Uljin (울진), you can take a bus to Seoul, Daegu or Busan.
Bus from Uljin Intercity Bus Terminal to Seoul costs 25,700 won
Bus from Uljin Intercity Bus Terminal to Daegu costs 20,900 won
Bus from Uljin Bus Terminal to Busan costs 22,100 won
