Camping, Kayaking, and Hiking the Bamboo Forest and Gujora Castle in Geoje.

Taking off to Geoje Island is a quick and great getaway. The island is only 1 and a half hours (2 hours from our destination) away from Daegu and connected by a series of bridges that jump over small uninhabited islands off the coast of Busan until arriving at Geoje island. The fee to cross over for us with the caravan attached was about 20,000 won each way and well worth it. The rest stop even felt like a vacation with a variety of cafes, sweeping view of the islands, and a garden with a stairway to heaven.

Once arriving on Geoje, there is an immediate feeling of something other than normal day-to-day Korea. The island has an Italian vibe as many people have made their vacation homes there and tucked beautiful homes into the mountains and foothills that overlook the ocean. Geoje-city shares it's Korean vibe of being the Republic of High-rises as it is a bustling city with modern cafes and industry of shipping and ship building.

Gujora Beach

We went directly for Gujora Beach as it has a good reputation for being a great place to camp and caravan on the water along with many benefits. The area boasts kayaking, SUP, great coffee shops, walking distance to restaurants, hiking, bamboo forest, castle ruins, and quick access to the the pier for day trips to nearby island--most notably botanical Oedo island. Not far from Oedo there is also a yacht club that during non-covid times would accept tourists but at the time we visited only would accept locals from Geoje. It would be a great place to get some sailing lessons, wind sailing, SUP and kayak.

Just off the shore of the beach is an uninhabited island with a cave that can be entered on SUP, kayak, or free swim---ooooh ocean cave kayaking on an unihabited island--so enchanting. Locals and tourists will paddle out to the island and picnic, swim, and snorkel around the cave and island. In the mornings I would see free-ocean swimmers swimming out the island. The water is shallow but a bit of wind will create a dangerous situation for cave kayaking. We kayaked around the island on different days and didn't get any luck to enter the cave. The waves crashing against the shore next to the cave entrance didn't look to inviting. It took all my adultness to tell myself it wasn't worth the risk and forgo my dreams of cave kayaking.

In the mornings I wake up around 6 am (the sun rises around 5 am in the summer) and put on some hot water for my instant coffee and think, "ah, what a great start to the day." Just like clockwork I see the local free-ocean swimmers heading in from their morning exercise of swimming around the island and back. I was impressed as it was so early and they were already in the water but also because I don't often see local swimmers in Korea at any of the other beaches that I've been too and certainly not destination swimming at 5 am. The free ocean swimmers swim with just a buoy tied to their bodies in case of exhaustion.

So I watch the swimmers and have a quick breakfast and head off for Gujora mountain. A cool mini peninsula that juts out to divide Gujora beach and the port for island hopping. We can hike up through "The sound of the wind" bamboo forest and then up to the top to climb the old castle ruins that were once used to fight off the Japanese invaders in the middle ages. The castle ruins looks more like a forteified wall as most castles in korea are more like fortresses as opposed to a European castle.

Coming down off the mountain in the middle of the peninsula is a tiny traditional villiage with fresh paint that has pensions, guest houses, restauraunts, cafes and a convenient stores both new and old. Meandering through the villiage is quaint and good for some photos--who knows how long these tiny mazes of alleyways will last in modern Korea. Most locals visiting from other parts of Korea will dress up and take full opportunity of the photo opportunities---no flip flops and beach clothes. Some cafes have dress codes in this tiny sea villiage.

Oedo Cafe at Gujora Beach

We checked out Oedo Cafe, which is a charming glass greenhouse that remind me of a mini Kew Gardens (England) with an outside patio with a sweeping view of Gujora Beach. The menu isn't vast, but the deserts and tea are instagramable--the menu includes beautiful desserts, teas, aides and of course coffees.

Old post office now crab shack

We also checked out the old post office--which was an old post office and hang out for tourtists until is was recently bought and turned into a restaurant with crab and seafood soups on the menu. I hate the self-service attitude of restaurtants these days but that's what we got. The plate of crab and drinks had to be carefully balanced up ladder like stairs to the second floor. Not a fan but the food was pretty good and the view was nice.

Aside from running into town for some grocery shopping and a half day at Oedo island we enjoyed just snorkeling, kayaking, barbequing, and making sand castles on the beach.

Days and nights were nice without to much of a crowd until the weekend rolled around even during the summer months. Most of the beachgoers seemed to be locals or foreign residents to the island. The beach has an international feel even in the midst of covid as Geoje Island seems to have many Russian and European residents.

No trip to Gujora would be complete without a day trip to Oedo Island. Follow the link to check it out.