I don’t know what I expected from South Korea, but I didn’t expect beautiful beaches beyond Jeju. Logically speaking, I knew there would be coastline because, duh, peninsula, but I just didn’t think there would be easily accessible ones. With this current heatwave in full swing though, we’ve been trying to do either indoor, underground, or water-related activities as a family – if only to stay cool. As luck would have it, a good friend of Ryan’s was taking part in a sailing competition and regatta in Boryeong, so we found ourselves taking a day trip to Daechon Beach.
Daechon Beach in Boryeong
A mere 1.5 hours from Sosabeul lies Daechon Beach, the biggest of South Korea’s western beaches, stretching 3.5 km long and offering a little bit of everything for everyone. While Daechon Beach is a draw in its own right, Boryeong is famous for the Boryeong Mud Festival, an annual even that traditionally involves everything from slides, to mud sprays and pits, live music, epic crowds, and more. It turns out that we went during the mud festival, but due to COVID, the attendance was less than overwhelming (thankfully for us).
It was really interesting how South Korea prepped for the entering visitors to the Daechon Beach area though. About 2 km from the beach center, there was a road block where about 20 individuals approached cars and had visitors roll down their windows. We extended our arms, and they gave us a temperature-sensing sticker along with a guide. If green, our temperatures were in a safe zone. If brown, we were cool. If yellow, we weren’t approved to enter.
What Daechon Beach is Like
Daechon Beach rivaled any beach I’ve visited in the southern US! It was definitely resort-like in its atmosphere, without being overwhelmingly fancy. I’ve heard that pensions and hotels there are very expensive, so I’m glad we opted for a day trip. The sun out here is strong, and since our sun shade is in our household goods somewhere in the middle of an ocean, we rented an umbrella and mat once we arrived for 30,000 Won.
The water at Daechon Beach is balmy, especially after what we experienced at Washington’s beaches like Port Townsend. The kids weren’t turned off by it at all, and we happily spent the majority of our time in the water. There was definitely a rip current though, and I was pleasantly surprised by just how attentive the lifeguards here are! There were several on jet skis patrolling to ensure nobody went too far, and others patrolled the shore to ensure people were safe, as the waves were breaking very close to the shoreline.
What We Loved About Daechon Beach
The People // Okay, I think this is South Korea in general, but people are so dang considerate. Since the tide was coming in, people’s stuff was rapidly being swept into the water. Nobody ignored this. People readily moved other people’s stuff, and people graciously thanked others. It’s so cool to watch.
The Masks // Masks are 100% mandatory everywhere right now – even outside. While bathing though, it’s a personal choice as long as you have adequate distance from others. It was really neat to spend time in the water in the company of others without masks. There’s something neat about seeing others’ faces again – especially friendly ones!
The Activities // While we were happy to spend our time in the water and on the shore, there are a lot of other things to do at Daechon Beach. There is ziplining, a restaurant for every palette, the mud festival, and so much more. Oh, best part though? Parking was free!
Our Tips // Bring sunscreen. As in every resort town, things are more expensive, and we paid about 15,000 Won for a single sunscreen, simply because we ran out a day before.
