Korea is famous for Busan and its mega city Seoul. But these days mainly due to K-dramas, K-pop, and its rich culture, many locals and tourists have traveled off the beaten path. Dojeon team member, Lewis, recently visited a coastal town in the South East of the country and was taken away by its beach beauty! Let's take a look at why Pohang should be on your South Korean travel bucket list!
Pohang is one of the more local beach areas, which not many foreign tourists tend to visit, due to its location. This makes it the perfect experience to indulge in more local culture when you visit Korea. Due to the weather getting hotter these days, I left my home in Daegu early in the morning and arrived by 10 am. This meant that I was able to get a parking space in one of the nearby car parks and get to the beach before any crowds. Well, there turned out to be not many people on the beach at all during my time there, which I found strange as if this beach was in Europe it would have been rammed by 10 am!!
The water was very shallow, meaning that I was able to walk out fairly far, and the water was also warm and very clear. I was able to see small fish swimming around and I could soak in the warm sun on my face, as I had fun swimming and playing in the sea! This was great, due to there being only a few other people around. In terms of the sand, and the size of the beach for me it was much better than the beaches in Busan due to it being less touristy, and as a result, I had more room to move around and enjoy myself without being disturbed!
Walking along the path, you will find many statues and street art, which is great, as it blends with the scenery. Towards the end of the beach, you will come to a pier, where you can walk out and take great photos of the shore and the sea. The oriental style pier was worth several phots itself. Bear in mind if you dare to climb to the top, then you will need to take off your shoes, and it's advised that you also cover up (meaning you can't enter topless).
Pohang is famous for its "Spacewalk". Located just a short 10-15 minute drive from the beach, you will be able to find plenty of parking in the art museum or by one of its many cafes. Here, you will experience crowds, though a great thing is that entry is free. Now if this was in the UK, it would cost an entry fee.
Be advised that if you do not like heights then I would not recommend climbing to the top. There are beautiful viewpoints and benches all around in case you choose not to climb up to the top.
I did climb to the top, and the view was stunning! I am not the biggest fan of heights so I held on tight climbing up, though it was not that bad. I was surprised how high you were able to climb up, and there were people of all ages. It was so much fun!
After the space walk, I headed down to one of the many cafes which are nearby. I really enjoyed the cafe street as there were plenty of options depending on your price range, and I was able to get some delicious lunch with great outside seating to enjoy the sunshine.
I think that it is great to shy away from the off the beat and track tourist destinations in order to gain a sense of what the locals experience and how people live. Usually I find the major tourist destinations to be very expensive and crowded and because of the amount of tourists, it does not feel like I am in another country. Pohang is for sure a place that I will go back to, especially since it is only a 90-minute drive from Daegu.
No trip to the seaside would be complete without some photos to remember the trip by. For me, the beautiful rose garden was worth the stop. Along the beach, there were plenty of opportunities for those Instagram-able photos and memorable moments.
How to get to Pohang and the Space walk:
For more sights and must-dos in Pohang, visit our article where we introduce eight activities for you to enjoy! If you need help with a hotel or place to stay, check out our Pohang hotel review!
Let us know in the comments below if you plan to visit the coastal town of Pohang this summer to embark on the Spacewalk. Don't forget to tag us in your photos!