Hongdo
Heuksando -> Hongdo
Day 2 of our island hopping weekend. We got tickets for the 9:50 ferry and checked out of the motel. We arrived in Hongdo at around 10:30. The first thing you will notice between the two different islands is the state of the buildings. The Hongdo ferry terminal looked brand new and was the first building you see. It also had English on it! Another noticeable difference is the amount of English signs throughout the island.
After buying our tickets back to Mokpo we ventured around to find the boat tour. Since Hongdo is part of a marine national park, most of the island is restricted. There two ways in which you can explore the island. There is a hiking trail which takes about 4-5 hours or a 2 hour boat tour. We opted for the boat tour since we had limited time. To purchase tickets for the boat tour, just walk underneath the ferry terminal building and you will see ticket booths selling boat tours. Prices were 22,000 but we got a discount and it ended up being 16,000 per person. There were two times for the boat tour, early morning around 7:30 and at 12:30pm. We had a couple hours to kill before our boat tour so we decided to walk to one of the lookouts on the map.
There are three main looks outs on this part of the island, two to the right of town (toward the trail) and one to the left. We headed towards the left of the map at the center of town and followed the uphill street. You will see this sign on the left after some buildings, it doesn't look like a normal path as it is semi-hidden and runs through some houses back alley. But, if you are having any issues finding it, the inhabitants of this island seem very friendly and helpful - you can either ask them, or if you look too lost they will come assist with out you prompting them. As we followed the path we passed houses and an orchid/bonsai nursery, eventually ending up where the concrete cuts off and the nature trail starts. Follow the trail up and you will hit a set of beautiful stairs once you are close to the look out. Once you see the stairs you have 300m to go to the look out (there are some markers along the way). The trail also continues along around the mountain and down to the other side of town for another 450m.
After 500m you will come to the look out and all the sweat and mosquito bites will soon be in the past as you take in the magnificent view. The weather was on the cloudy side so it wasn't as hot which was good for our small hike. We were definitely sweaty and the sun wasn't even out!
After heading back down the mountain, we headed to the other side of the island (to the right of the map). Following the road we passed the school and made our way to the other look out where you can see more of the town. This one was a lot easier to climb since it was just stairs and much shorter. The trail does extend further up the mountain to the second town of the island and is 1700m to the top. We did not get to follow it since we were on a time limit.
We headed back down to the ferry terminal at 12:20 to board our vessel. It was open air with a little indoor seating area. The boat ride was a great way to see the island and its many natural structures. We saw different rock striations and little caves and even tiny waterfalls. Near the end of the tour there is a fishing boat that stops alongside the boat that sells fresh sashimi. You literally see them take the fish, clean it, filet and serve with dipping sauces and soju. Since Alan is not a big sashimi fan, I just watched all the other passengers line up and walk off with their sashimi in hand. I didn't know what fish it was, only that it was white in color.
After our tour ended, we had roughly 30 minutes before our 3:40pm ferry back to Mokpo. We walked along the harbor and looked at the many creatures for sale. After watching customers come up and pick out their meal, we saw the seller cut up and clean all different kinds of sea animals. Conch, mussels, calms, sea cucumber, abalone, and octopus. Most of the seafood was eaten raw, in fact all that we saw served up was raw served with gochuchang (red pepper paste).
All in all it was a great weekend filled with beautiful views. Heuksando and Hongdo both have their own charms with beautiful scenery to boast. I definitely recommend visiting one or both to get away from the hustle of city life.
Tips and Recommendations:
How to get to Heuksando and Hongdo
Make your way to the Mokpo coastal ferry terminal and buy your tickets (check ferry times below/call in advance).
* Wear your comfortable shoes, comfortable clothes, and sun protection - even though you might think of the beach when you think of and island, these two are more of the hiking variety and all the beach you will see are filled with pebbles not sand.
* Bring your camera.
* Bring food - unless you are a big skate and fish person.
* Plan your trip accordingly to ensure you get the most out of your island hopping adventure.
Ferry Timetable
(Please verify with ferry terminal, changes and cancellations may occur due to weather)
Ferry Route: Mokpo -> Bigeumdo -> Heuksando -> Hongdo
FROM MOKPO
Mokpo 목포 -> Heuksando 흑산도
1 hour 50 minutes - 34,300w
7:50
8:00
13:00
16:00
Mokpo 목포 -> Hongdo 홍도
2 hours 30 minutes - 42,000w
7:50
13:00
FROM HEUKSANDO
Heuksando 흑산도 -> Mokpo 목포
1 hour 50 minutes - 34,300w
9:00
11:10
15:30
16:20
Heuksando 흑산도 -> Hongdo 홍도
30 minutes - 11,200w
9:50
14:50
FROM HONGDO
Hongdo 홍도 -> Heuksando 흑산도 -> Mokpo 목포
Total: 2 hours 30 minutes - 42,000w
10:30
15:30
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