Are you looking to have a different experience and off the beaten path during your stay in South Korea? Head to Sokcho in the northeastern region of South Korea this summer to find these unforgettable gems and experiences!
Summer for me, means spending some time at the beach, and this year I wanted somewhere different to visit, rather than the stand-out Korean beach destinations such as Busan or Jeju Island, so instead I headed north, to the city of Sokcho.
Despite being over a 4-hour drive from Daegu, there were many beautiful mountains and rest stops along the way!
When I arrived at the main area of Sokcho, I was taken away by the incredible street art which lined the pier area floors, and the main tourist area!
Scattered along the beach, there are many cafes and restaurants, and of course convenience stores! However, unlike in European beach resorts, there were no beach facing bars! That aside, there were many people and the queue at the parking lot took some time. It gave me a chance to take in the beautiful Sokcho Eye! (From the car) though, when I got closer it reminded me of London and the London Eye. I decided not to ride it, although there were plenty of people waiting, and I can imagine that the view would have been really good!
Instead, I took a walk up the pier, to watch locals fishing and to take some photos of the spectacular street art, and beach area. To the right, there were people learning how to surf in the shallows, and to my left, were families having fun at the beach. For me, it seemed like a great local beach destination where not many foreign visitors venture, so it was perfect!
No trip to the beach would be complete without a photo zone! The beaches for me felt much better than the more famous ones of Busan and Jeju, as the sand was soft, the water was very clear and not polluted and this allowed you to see many fish swimming around you when you got in! Because I visited in the summer, the sea was warm so it was perfect for swimming, and a perfect way to cool off from the heat outside. I will say, that the main beach area was crowded with families, so I decided to swim a little further down the beach where it was very quiet.
A great thing for me about the trip was the street food! I mean who doesn't enjoy eating street food?! I opted for the octopus skewer, and I am glad I did! The flavor was AMAZING, and the owner of the stall said that it was caught earlier that day, which probably explains why the flavor was so good! If you don't like seafood, then there are still plenty of other options around for you to choose from!
I stayed in Sokcho for two nights, and I it was the best decision that I made! I will be going back again sometime soon. I really suggest that if you are looking for an alternative to the packed jammed tourist beach destinations this year, that you should head and to Sokcho this year!
How to get from Seoul to Sokcho? Check out this link!
Let us know in the comments below if you have ever visited the Korean city of Sokcho!
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