The banded cliffs
Curling layers of volcanic ash.
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A strip of rippling rock cliffs at the foot of Mount Sanbangsan in the south-west of Jeju, carved by waves over thousands of years out of layers of volcanic ash until it looks like a wall of curling pages. The name means «dragon's head», because from above the headland looks like a dragon entering the sea. You walk along a narrow rock ledge at water level, with the sea on one side and cliffs banded in brown and yellow on the other, full of hollows, arches and small pools. The whole circuit takes about half an hour and is among the strangest and finest geological sights on the island. The ledge goes under water at high tide and when the swell is up, so the site closes for hours or for whole days. Check the tide times before you go, or ask your hotel to phone the site, as many people arrive to find it shut. At the entrance stands a model sailing ship recalling the Dutch sailor Hendrick Hamel, who was shipwrecked off Jeju in 1653. The ground is uneven and slippery, so wear shoes with a good grip.
Curling layers of volcanic ash.
Rock between sea and cliff.
A rock dome above the coast.
Sagye-ri, Andeok, south-west Jeju Island, at the foot of Mount Sanbangsan
Because the rock ledge goes under water at high tide and in heavy swell. Check the tide times before you go, as the site can close for hours or days.