Busan, the second largest city in Korea and its premier port, is a maritime city with a metropolitan atmosphere. But Yeongdo Island, which is just across a bridge from Busan Station, has a small town feel that is a far cry from Busan city center. 

Follow the blue sea of Busan and the alleyways to find cute shops and light snacks, then move onto the coastal trail to have your fill of the Busan Sea. An exhibition hall dedicated to the Haenyeo culture and fresh seafood dishes brings out Busan’s identity as a port city.

Huinnyeoul Culture Village began as a shantytown for refugees fleeing the Korean War*. Once a collection of derelict buildings cluttering a mountain slope, it began its second life as a culture village created by the harmony between residents and creators through an urban regeneration project in 2011.

The name "Huinnyeoul (white rapids)" was also given to the village at that time for the stream rapidly flowing from the foot of Bongnaesan Mountain (at the center of Yeongdo) toward the sea. Huinnyeoul Culture Village is also known as the "Santorini of Korea." It has 14 alleys with small and cute shops housed in renovated houses and cafés with an ocean view. The best way to enjoy this place is to explore the alleys like a treasure hunt, searching for small details hidden throughout the villages, like cats napping in a narrow alley or cute murals.

* Korean War: A war that began with North Korea’s invasion of South Korea on June 25, 1950, and continued over 3 years to July 27, 1953.

Address: 605-3, Yeongseon-dong 4(sa)-ga, Yeongdo-gu, Busan

Feeling peckish at Huinnyeoul Road? Drop by Huinnyeoul Jeomppang for a light meal. Located at the center of Huinnyeoul Culture Village, Huinnyeoul Jeomppang is beloved for its cute interior and ocean view. The ocean view can be seen at every floor of the building from the t errace seats by the entrance to the 2nd and 3rd floors.

There are only two menus as a meal in Huinnyeoul Jeomppang: ramyeon and toast. Ramyeon is Korea’s most beloved instant food, made by boiling noodles and seasoning. Ramyeon in Korea tends to be hot and spicy, and Huinnyeoul Jeomppang’s version adds fish cake, green onions, and other ingredients that enrich the soup.

Address: 121, Huinnyeoul-gil, Yeongdo-gu, Busan Opening Hours: 12:00-until ingredients run out / no kids zone Signature Menu and Prices (March 2023) Ramyeon KRW 5,000 Toast KRW 4,000

After a light meal, head to this café to get a cup of fragrant coffee. Sonmokseoga is a bookstore-cum-café run by a photographer husband and a poet wife. The first floor functions as a bookstore and order counter, so one can browse the wide selection of interesting books and items while waiting for the order.

Address: 307, Huinnyeoul-gil, Yeongdo-gu, Busan Opening Hours: 11:00-19:00 Signature Menu and Prices (March 2023) Hand drip coffee KRW 6,000 Glühwein KRW 7,000

Follow the stairs, such as Manmeori Stairs and Rainbow Stairs, located throughout Huinnyeoul Road, to reach the Jeoryeong Coastal Trail below the cliffs. This 3-km-long coastal trail connects the area below the Huinnyeoul Culture Village with Taejongdae Park along the Jeoryeonghaean Coast. It is designed in harmony with the surrounding sea, from the floor patterns that resemble the waves to murals and the scenery unfolding beyond, so take in the beauty of Busan’s sea as you walk leisurely along the trail.

Address: 186-66, Yeongseon-dong 4(sa)-ga, Yeongdo-gu, Busan

Walking towards Taejongdae Park from Jeoryeong Coastal Trail, one can find a tunnel next to the Rainbow Stairs. Huinnyeoul Coastal Tunnel, which resembles a coastal cave, connects this side of Busan with a completely different one, characterized by unique coastal formations like a pebble beach, sheer cliffside, and other mysteries of nature.

Address: 1210-38, Yeongseon-dong 4(sa)-ga, Yeongdo-gu, Busan

Located about 25 min on foot from Huinnyeoul Coastal Tunnel, Yeongdo Sky Observatory offers a great view of the East Sea and its islands, like Geojedo and Gadeokdo Islands. Also, the observatory has telescopes that can be used to see the gigantic ships mooring off the shore. The observatory also has a semitransparent floor, so look down at your own risk! The bridge has many padlocks hung by couples as promises of their love, so if you’re visiting with your partner, hang a padlock with your own wish as well.

Address: 628-66, Dongsam-dong, Yeongdo-gu, Busan

The seaside villages of Korea, surrounded by water on three sides, have developed a culture of diving, exemplified by its "haenyeo" culture. "Haenyeo," or women divers, dive 10 m below sea level without oxygen masks or other equipment to harvest seafood. Today’s haenyeo use diving suits and swim fins, but they dove into the sea wearing only their shirts in the past. The "culture of Jeju Haenyeo (women divers)" was inscribed onto the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016 to protect and preserve this unique culture. Yeongdo’s haenyeo culture began to develop when Jeju Island’s haenyeo began to stay in Yeongdo in the 1920s before moving on to other areas in Korea.

The Yeongdo Haenyeo Culture Exhibition Hall is made of four chapters: Chapter 1 is Sound of Sumbi, Chapter 2 is Tools of Haenyeo, Chapter 3 is Seafood in Yeongdo Sea, and Chapter 4 is Work and Life of Haenyeo. The "Sound of Sumbi" here refers to the unique sound made by haenyeo as they expel their breath after they resurface from their dive. Push the button in the exhibition hall to fill the space with the sounds of sumbi, made by actual haenyeo, and take a momentary trip into the sea with women divers.

Address: 2-36, Jungninam-ro, Yeongdo-gu, Busan Opening Hours: 09:00-18:00 (Closed Mondays) Entrance Fee (March 2023): Free of charge

If you find yourself hungry after exploring the mysterious culture of haenyeo in Yeongdo, head to the first floor of Yeongdo Haenyeo Culture Exhibition Hall. There, you will find a restaurant specializing in sumptuous seafood. In particular, outdoor seating along the coastline brings out the romantic mood as well as the seafood’s freshness. If you opt for indoor seats, you can place your order on the first floor and wait at the table. Those who want to opt for outdoor seating should wait for their menu to be prepared and take it to their seat. Each order is prepared individually, so the freshness of the sea is brought alive.

Another signature dish of the Yeongdo Haenyeochon is gimbap, made by rolling steamed rice and various vegetables in a laver sheet. It can present a wide array of flavors, depending on the filling used. Gimbap at Yeongdo Haenyeochon sticks to the standard fare like spinach, ham, and pickled radish, but ordering some sea urchin roe on the side and topping them with gimbap creates a unique gimbap dish. Sea urchin roe sushi costs about KRW 5,000 (March 2023) in other restaurants, so its cost-effect cannot be doubted. Fans of Korean TV shows will also recognize the restaurant from the famous cooking researcher Baek Jong-won’s show, Top 3 Chef King.

Address: 1F, Yeongdo Haenyeo Culture Exhibition Hall, 2-35, Jungninam-ro, Yeongdo-gu, Busan Opening Hours: 09:00-18:00 (Closed Mondays)Signature Menu and Prices (March 2023) Sea Urchin Roe KRW 10,000 Two rows of Gimbap KRW 5,000 Assorted Seafood (small) KRW 30,000

Credit: https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/