Things to do
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Hamdeok Beach
East along the north coast at Jocheon, Hamdeok is the beach for a proper swim, and one of the most visited on the island. Seoubong, a small extinct volcano, rises beside the beach, and an easy walk over the hill fits between swims.
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Dongmun Market
Trading began here in the weeks after liberation in 1945, and the covered lanes still run on seafood: hairtail, abalone and mackerel laid out on ice. Tangerines, black pork and omegi rice cakes fill the rest. From early evening a night market of food stalls opens at the back, which is when the crowd thickens and the grills start.
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Hallasan
South Korea's highest peak rises at the centre of Jeju, a shield volcano capped by the Baengnokdam crater lake. Two trails reach the top, Seongpanak and Gwaneumsa, and both take most of a day on stairs and boardwalk. A free reservation, checked by QR code at the last checkpoint, is required for the summit section, and autumn weekends fill weeks ahead.
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Iho Tewoo Beach
Two lighthouses shaped like Jeju ponies stand at the harbour beside this small city beach, west of the old town. The bottom mixes sand and rock, so swimming suits calm days only. Most visits come for the golden hour before sunset, when the lighthouses are photographed against the sky, and parking near the beach and harbour fills fast.
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Manjanggul
Lava drained through this tube at Geomunoreum and left a passage nearly 9 kilometres long, of which about 1 kilometre is open to visitors. The floor is wet and uneven, the air stays cold, and a jacket helps even in August. At the end stands a lava column about 7.6 metres high, one of the largest known.
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Yongduam Rock
On the shore at Yongdam-dong in Jeju City, a black volcanic outcrop rises from the sea in the shape of a dragon's head, which gives the rock its name. It is seen from the shore, and the visit takes a few minutes. A small group of photographers gathers on the rocks at sunset for the light over the water.
