Udo Island (우도) is a small island off the coast of Jeju Island in South Korea that is quite popular with tourists.
Understand
Udo is the northeast of the village of Seongsan-ri on Jeju Island and is 3½ km off its coast. After Jeju Island, it is the second largest island in Jeju-si. It only has a population of 370 people. Udo means "Cow Island" in Chinese and the island probably has this name because it looks like a cow lying down. The whole of Udo Island is a lava plateau with some fertile, flat land where the major agricultural products are sweet potatoes, garlic, and peanuts. There's a parasitic volcanic cone, called shoi meori oreum, in the southeast.
Get in
By ship
You can take the Dohang Line from Seongsan Port and Jongdal-ri near Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak, a famous tourist destination on Jeju Island, and the Dohang Line is carried to two ports (Haumokdong Port and Tianjin Port) in Udo every 30 minutes from 9 to 17:00.
Get around
sightseeing bus
In Udo Island, Udo Village Bus and Udo Tourist Bus are operated for tourists. It is divided into a tourist route and a resident route, and the tourist rout go straight from Hagosu-dong to Haumok-dong Port, and the resident route is a route that goes around the coast. The bus interval is 30 minutes. The village bus fare is 1,000 won per session when using a transportation card, and you can purchase a round trip ticket at the ticket office for 6,000 won.
Three-wheeled electric vehicle
It can avoid heat and rain, and the price is very low, so it is a perfect transportation to ride during the peak season. However, the disadvantage is that when there are many people, the parking lot may be full and it may be difficult to park.
See
- Seobin Baeksa. A white sandy beach that's been a popular scene in many Korean dramas and films.
- Udobong Peak. At 132 m, it is the highest point on Udo island and offers great views of the national park.Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak is clearly visible, making it quite convenient to take pictures. There are horse droppings everywhere because there is a horseback riding course, so be careful when climbing.
- Gummule Beach. Black sandy beach. It is a black sandy beach formed by weathering volcanic rocks. There is a huge sea cliff next to it, and you can also see the sea cave at low tide.
Do
- Bike Tours, ☏ +82 64 783-0516. Udo island is small enough that a 13-km bike ride will cover most of it. ₩2,000/hr, ₩5,000/3 hr.
- Lighthouse Park, ☏ +82 64 710-3312. This lighthouse is right in front of a dramatic sea view in the Udo Provincial Maritime Park. It was built by the Japanese during the occupation of Korea. ₩1,000.
- Udo Museum, 1457 Seogwang-ri, Udo Island. 09:00-18:00. Exhibits of marine and insect life on the island of Udo, including a fossil collection. ₩4,000, children ₩2,000.
Buy
Eat
- Peanuts
Wherever you go in Udo Island and Jeju Island, you can see a rare sight of selling peanut ice cream, and they also sell rice wine with peanuts. Cafes scattered along the beach sell roasted peanuts in small packages.
- Conch
There are quite a few hornbeam caught. It's not more than peanuts, but there are still quite a few places that sell it.
Drink
Sleep
The island is really set up for day trips. You will typically sleep on Jeju island.