Yongmeori Coast: Great Photos, Parking Hell
Yongmeori Coast doesn't open if the waves are even a little rough or if it's windy. Luckily, the weather was great today, so I heard it was open. I rushed over in my car, only to face a mission far more brutal than the wind and waves: finding a parking spot among a massive swarm of cars.
If Yongmeori Coast were the only attraction here, it might be fine, but Sanbangsan (a prominent mountain in Jeju) is right in front of it, drawing huge crowds. With so many people, it's no surprise that the large parking lot was completely full, and cars were lined up all along the road. Thankfully, after circling about four times, a car pulled out right in front of me and I managed to park quickly. Still, for inexperienced drivers, this place is absolute hell.
I bought my ticket and walked in, only to find a ship sitting there. Yongmeori Coast is where Hendrick Hamel (a Dutch sailor) washed ashore, so there's an exhibition about him. I've never actually read Hamel's journal, but I had to memorize his name for my college entrance exams, so I just went, "Wow! Hamel!!" and quickly walked past.
Yongmeori Coast is famous for its stunningly layered sedimentary rocks. Everywhere you look, people are strolling around and snapping photos in front of random, fascinating rock formations. It's a place where you just walk and take it all in, but you do need to be careful—the ground is slippery, and there are no safety barriers along the ocean side.
The weather has to be good, there can't be any wind, the timing must be right, and you need a place to park—Yongmeori Coast is a spot you can only visit when so many conditions perfectly align. Even with all these photos, they don't capture what it actually feels like to be there. Even looking at the pictures right after taking them, seeing it with your own eyes is just so much better. You really don't want to miss the grandeur, the crystal-clear water, or the bizarre rocks.
People say it's great to visit alongside Sanbangsan, but most agree that the mountain actually looks best when viewed from below. So, if you have bad knees or just don't want a strenuous hike, I think walking along Yongmeori Coast is more than enough.