The crater
A green bowl ringed by rock.
Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Korea Heritage Service — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Basile Morin — CC BY-SA 4.0 · David Lee from Redmond, WA, USA — CC BY 2.0
A small volcano rising out of the sea at the eastern tip of Jeju Island, 182 metres high, with a broad green crater at the top ringed by jagged rocks like a crown. Its name means «sunrise peak», as it is the first place on the island to see the morning, and it is on UNESCO's World Heritage list as part of «Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes». A long, well-made stairway climbs to the summit in about half an hour, with rest platforms on the way that look over Seongsan village, the coast and nearby Udo island. From the top you see the whole crater and the sea on three sides. Many people climb before dawn to watch the sunrise, and the trail opens early for that. At the foot of the peak on the seaward side is a small cove where the haenyeo, Jeju's women divers who gather seafood without breathing equipment, give a short demonstration in the afternoon, per visitor guides. The lower path around the base is free. The trail is closed on the first Monday of each month. From Seongsan port next door, ferries cross to Udo island in a quarter of an hour.
A green bowl ringed by rock.
First light on the island.
A short show in the cove.
Seongsan, east coast of Jeju Island, about an hour and a half by bus from Jeju City
About half an hour up a well-made stairway and the same down. Allow an hour and a half including time at the top.
On the first Monday of each month, per visitor guides. On other days it opens before sunrise.