Travel Anytime - Gampo Good Spots

Once retired, we can travel anytime we want. When we were busy with work, there were too many things to consider for even a short trip. However, after retirement, we can easily decide on a trip that we love and head out after checking a few lists. Unlike trips we need to plan around our vacation before retirement, we only need to move within our decided time, place, and budget. Time, place, and budget are all decided as we please, and we can change them whenever we want even after making the decisions.

The type of travel that we enjoy after retirement is called "Living and traveling for a month." Although we do not necessarily move around for exactly one month, we move for a suitable period of one month to travel around the area while living our daily lives. We can experience various things such as the culture, food, and people there. We can also take pictures of the beautiful natural scenery or architecture, leave a written record, or share the charm of the place with others through SNS during this appropriate period. It is not a busy travel with a full day's schedule, but a leisurely travel where we can enjoy a relaxing morning with warm coffee, tea, and music, stroll around, and visit nearby attractions for half a day.

This spring, we visited Gampo in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. We stayed in Gampo from March 27th to April 10th, 2023. We made a contract for “a half month" due to some unnecessary anxiety about living nearby the beach and accommodations. It was a beautiful experience every day except the one regret of not signing up for a one-month contract as soon as we entered the accommodations. On March 27th, we passed through the famous cherry blossom path in Gyeongju and headed for Gampo.
 

Gampo is a seaside village on the East Coast where you can reach Gyeongju, Pohang, and Ulsan within an hour driving. It's not enough to just like Gampo when you live there for a month, so it's good to have several places to go around. If you're from Gyeongsang-do, you probably know the place well, but for people from Seoul, it may be unfamiliar. If you say you're going to Gampo, you may need a little explanation of "where is that?" It's a place where you can go eat raw fish after going to Gyeongju, watching the sunrise on the East Sea, or fishing. Along the coastal road, there are many beaches, sea food restaurants, guesthouses, and recently built pensions. You can buy raw fish and dried fish at Gampo Port Market, walk the 12-course Donghae Ocean Path(Haeparang trail), walk the Yangnam Ju Sangjeolri(Columnar joint) Trail, go to Bonggil Daewang Am Beach, where King Munmu's Tomb is located under the sea, or go to Janggilli Complex Fishing Park. It's a place where various cultural assets are densely packed so you can easily understand the history and culture, and we have our beloved Jukdo Market in Pohang, a place close to visit frequently, Gampo.
 

 

To us, Gampo may appear as an endlessly quiet seaside village, but it is actually the central hub of the eastern region of Gyeongju City. It covers an area of 44.90㎢, which is approximately twice the size of my neighborhood in Seoul, Mapo-gu, with a population of 5,347 people (as of December 2022, source: Ministry of Public Administration and Security, Republic of Korea). For us, who live in Mapo-gu with a population of over 365,000 (as of March 2023, source: Ministry of Public Administration and Security, Republic of Korea), it may feel like a very quiet place. We had a wonderful time experiencing the beauty of the half month in this peaceful seaside village where kind-hearted adults live. And this fall, we are already in a hurry to sign a lease contract to stay there for a month. Here is a list of places to visit in Gampo, some of which we reached by car from our accommodation and some by foot.
 

1. Gampo Port

• In Chinese characters, it was called "Gamunporo" because it is a port with sweet persimmons (甘) and a distinctive terrain shape and Gamun Temple.  However, the name was shortened to "Gampo" and became Gampo Harbor
• It is a bustling central port in the southern part of the East Sea
• The breakwater has long been known as a great spot to watch the sunrise over the East Sea, and many people come to enjoy fishing.
• The nearby waters are abundant with squid, stingray, flounder, pufferfish, anglerfish, and mackerel.
• A representative seafood of the area is called "Chamchamcham," which refers to chamgajami(plaice), chamjeonbok(abalone), and chambok-eo (Pufferfish). The chamgajami is a symbolic fish of Gyeongju, and you can see it being dried all around Gampo. Gampo Market is a great place to see and buy fresh seafood, including sashimi.
• There is also a breakwater in Gampo Harbor made by carving the three-story stone pagoda of Gamunsaji Temple.
• The market is closed on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, and some restaurants and cafes may also be closed on Wednesdays, so it is recommended to call ahead if visiting on a Wednesday.

 

2. Songdaemal Lighthouse

• 15-minute walk from Gampo Port and Gampo Public Parking Lot
• In 1933, Gampo Fishery Cooperative installed a lighthouse for maritime safety in the rocky sea in front of Gampo with many reefs. As the number of ships using Gampo Port increased, an unmanned lighthouse was installed on the northern Songdaemal of Gampo in 1955. In 2001, a new lighthouse was built in the shape of a three-story stone pagoda called "Gameunsaji," which honors the grace of King Munmu, next to the existing lighthouse.
• It is one of the best places to see the sunrise on the East Coast of Gyeongju, along with Munmu the Great's Tomb under the sea and Yangnamju Embankment.
• Songdaemal means "the end of the pine forest," and the beautiful Haesong Forest, 200-300 years old, surrounds the lighthouse.
• The lighthouse, which is built on a traditional Korean house, is shaped like a three-story stone pagoda.
• A wooden deck path is installed in front of the lighthouse for visitors to see breathtaking sunrises.
• There is also an artificial pool-like snorkeling spot under the lighthouse, which appears to have been created during the Japanese colonial period by connecting the land and rocks with cement. The stone steps leading down to the pool look dangerous, but in the summer, many people enjoy snorkeling there.

 

3. Songdaemal Lighthouse Light Exhibition Hall

• Address: Songdaemal Lighthouse Light Experience Exhibition Hall, Gamporo 226-19
• Inquiries: Tel 054-773-8755
• Opens 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with last entry at 5:00 PM. The exhibition hall is closed during lunchtime and on Mondays.
• This is Korea's first Heritage Art Experience Exhibition Hall, designed around a lighthouse and winner of various digital media awards from around the world.
• Combining Gyeongju's history as the millennium capital of the Silla Dynasty with the local cultural heritage of the sea, Gamport Harbor, and Gam Eunsa Temple, the exhibition showcases immersive media art videos that combine the "light" of the lighthouse.
• Strongly recommend to visitors can enjoy interactive content, making it a place for a special experience.

 

4. Haeguk Gil (Road of Seashore Spatulate Aster)

• Located in the fishing village of Gamapo Port, the short alley mural street spans a total of 600 meters in section 4-1 of Gamapogakji-gil
• A spot that features a mural of the ocean covering the entire staircase leading up to Gamapo First Church is a must-visit photo zone. Although it can be seen in 15 minutes as a walkable route, taking the time to enjoy a leisurely photo session and explore the area will provide a nostalgic experience where the past and present of Gamapo Port coexist on the street.
• Japanese-style houses (Jeoksan-gaok) that were built and inhabited by Japanese immigrants during the Japanese occupation period when they came here to follow the abundant fishing resources still remain in various parts of the alley.
• Parking is available at the Gamapo Public Market parking lot (Gamapo-ri 438-1) for free.

 

5. Gampo1925

• Address: 15 Gampoaan-gil, Gampo-eup, Gyeongju-si
• http://instagram.com/1925gampo
• Opens from 10:30am to 7:00pm (9:00pm on Fridays and Saturdays), closed on Wednesdays.
• '1925 Gampo' is a cafe that was created by renovating an old bathhouse built in 1925. It is located in a narrow alley in a fishing village inside Gampo Port.
• The old Japanese-style houses, such as Jucksan houses, that remain in the surrounding area create a feeling of traveling through time.
• The interior design showcases the efforts of local residents and young people to maintain the wooden cabinets, bathtubs, and other facilities from the past.
• Menu items that reflect the local character, such as 'Bupyo Latte'(Buoy Latte), 'Afternoon of Songdaemal', and 'Morning of Goara'

 

6. Others

Oryu Goara Beach

It is adjacent to a small freshwater stream and has a camping ground where many families gather. It is made up of small pebbles and fine sand, making it comfortable and ideal for sand bathing in the summer. Along the beach, there is a pine forest that serves as a place to rest and avoid the hot summer sun or for summer camping. People also enjoy fishing all year round in the surrounding area.

Najung Gounmo Beach (Najung Fine Sand Beach)

The water is clear and shallow, and there is a hot spring bath that attracts many families. During the summer, water leisure activities such as motorboats and banana boats are possible, and there are well-equipped facilities such as accommodations, parking lots, and auxiliary facilities. The beach is open from early July to mid-August. Nearby, you can visit historic sites such as Gamnusaji Samcheongseoktap (National Treasure No. 112) and Igeondae (Historic Site No. 159) located on National Route 31 along the coast. It is also suitable for car camping and has nearby clean restrooms. As it is a famous destination, there may be no camping spots available on weekends.

Jeonchon Solbat Beach

It is a pebble beach located between Najungo Unmo Beach and a bridge. It is a place where you can enjoy clean ocean water and summer marine leisure activities, and is a place where the conditions for a summer vacation are met. Recently, it has been used as a four-season camping ground. The beach has a charming atmosphere with a pine forest, and there are many seafood restaurants that sell fresh fish caught in nearby Gampo Harbor. The recently built restroom is clean, but it is located a little away from the camping ground. It is relatively unknown, so there are camping spots available even on weekends.

Jeonchon Yonggul

You can park for free in the public parking lot at Jeonchon Harbor and walk to the nearby Gampo Kakjigil Coastal Wooden Deck Trail. As you walk along the trail, you can see the emerald-colored East Sea. There are two caves called Haesikdonggul's "Sa-ryonggul" (Dragon Sea Cave) and "Dan-ryonggul" (One Dragon Cave), which, as the names suggest, are filled with legends. It is said that four dragons lived in  Sa-ryonggul, guarding the east, west, south, and north, while one dragon lived in the Danyonggul, guarding the Gampo village. These two caves with passageways that dragons might have traveled are part of Gampo Eup's storytelling walking trail, "Gampo Kakjigil" Courses 1 and 8, and are also a scenic point on the 11th section of the East Coast Trekking Course "Haeparang-gil(trail)." This area was not open to the public as it was a military operation zone until recently, but with the start of the Haeparang trail, it has been opened to the public as a coastal trekking course.

 
Gampo-eup Administrative (only Korean language available)
: https://www.gyeongju.go.kr/village/gampo/page.do?mnu_uid=1110
 
Information on nearby attractions in Gampo, Cultural tourism in Gyeongju City, and information on the East Coast region : https://www.gyeongju.go.kr/tour/page.do?mnu_uid=2294&
 
Information on East Coast Haeparang Trail Course 12 (Only Korean language available) : https://www.durunubi.kr/course-detail-view.do?crs_idx=T_CRS_MNG0000004237