Jeongbang Waterfall: The Most Beautiful Place On Jeju Island
Jeju Island has some spectacular sites to see and the Jeongbang Waterfall (정방폭포) is most definitely one of the prettiest of them. There are a few waterfalls on Jeju Island, but this was my favorite of them all and it’s actually quite accessible. If you’re headed to Jeju Island, this is definitely a spot I’d check out. There are three popular waterfalls on Jeju Island but this one is one of those Instagrammable spots where you can get right up and personal and walk away with one of those islandy photos to prove it.
Feel free to skip around and get all of the details:
- How To Get To Jeju Island
- How To Get To Jeongbang Waterfall
- Basic Information About Jeongbang Waterfall
- A Folk Tale History
- What To Expect
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How To Get To Jeju Island
Get To Jeju: First you’ll have to get to Jeju Island. Did you know you can get there by plane OR by ferry? Here are all of the different ways to get to Jeju.
How To Get To Jeongbang Waterfall
Address: 278 Donghong-dong Seogwi-po, Jeju, Korea (서귀포시 동홍동 278)
By Bus: 521, 600, 651, 652 stop nearest to the waterfall though none of them is right near the ticket booth. You’ll need to walk five minutes, or 300 meters, east to get to the waterfall.
We got to the waterfall via car we rented which made the trip MUCH easier. If you’re not renting a car on the island, getting around via public transport can be a bit slow and tedious so if you want to get around to see everything, definitely join a tour. You can’t see all of Jeju in one go but need to see it in sections. There are tours for the east, west and south that make it easier. Jeonbang Waterfall is in the south and Klook has a great tour for this area.
Where To Stay: Jeongbang Waterfall is easiest to put into an itinerary when you’re staying in Seogwipo City in the southern part of Jeju. Check out this guide for where to stay on Jeju Island for some good spots to stay nearby.
Basic Information About Jeongbang Waterfall
Days: Every day
Hours: Summer: 7:30am ~ 7:00pm: Winter: 7:30am ~ 5:30pm
Admission: Adults: W2,000; Children: 1,000
Good Things To Know:
- Jeongbang Waterfall is the only waterfall in Asia that falls directly into the ocean.
- Swimming is not recommended in the area but you can wade into the water or splash around a bit if you want.
- The stairs that lead down to the waterfall can be slick when wet so wear good rubber soled shoes for safety and watch your step.
A Folk Tale History
Two thousand years ago, a man stepped onto Jeju Island sent by Emperor Jin (BC 259 – 210) of China to find a magical elixir that would make the emperor immortal. Finding no such thing on the island, he came to a waterfall and naturally carved his name ‘Seobul’ into the cliff where the water fell.
Another account has it that it is ‘Seobulgwacha’ carved into the stone, meaning Seobul passes by the place, or Seobul heads back west, in which case he was marking his path somewhat like Hansel and Gretel on his way back home. It’s too bad Seobul didn’t take some of this water back to the emperor with him though as the Jeju people believed that a holy dragon lived under this waterfall and the water with the holy spirit of this dragon has been said to cure illnesses and bring rains during droughts.
What To Expect
It was one of the most breathtaking spots we saw on the island. That said, we were lucky to see it as it flowed. There are some seasons when it’s more difficult to see it with such a flow. The first time I visited it was the autumn and you can see in these pictures, it was stupendous. We also visited in the summer a bit earlier once, and some of these pics have a lighter flow before monsoon season I guess.
After purchasing a ticket and walking around the small ticket booth, steps lead down to the base of the Jeongbang waterfall (정방폭포).
There’s a platform midway down to take in the whole scene and get some all-encompassing shots of the 23 meter high waterfall shooting over the cliff and falling to the rocks below that lead to the ocean. The whole area is pretty impressive.
Once to the bottom of the man-made steps, to get a good shot in front of the falls you’ll have to carefully walk on the rocks leading to the pool at the base of the waterfall. People are all there with the same idea and thus maneuver precisely and adeptly to get a good shot and then get back again so that others can get a shot as well. It all seemed practiced and easy enough to figure out where the best shots could be taken.
As with many of the other natural wonders on the island, it seems to be a place to get a photo with friends or family and then jump into cars and depart for the next photo opportunity. There are some small buildings at the top offering snacks and drinks beside the parking lot, but other than that there’s nothing else to do in the vicinity. That being said, it is still a notable stop off on the island. I found it to be pretty magnificent as I don’t often look upon waterfalls and the water was spraying us and felt awesome in the heat of the autumn sun.
If you want to spend a bit more time near the waterfall on the rocks, look out for the ajjummas that are selling their fresh catch. They have sea urchins and fish they will chop up for some fresh sashimi dishes. Take advantage of the meal and enjoy the views.
If you’re headed to Jeju Island, don’t miss out on hiking up Halla Mountain, check out the grotto on Sanbang Mountain and don’t miss Yakcheonsa Temple. There’s also a great little island you can visit off the coast called Gapa Island. And then for your beach time, definitely stop at Hamdeok Beach. It’s gorgeous!
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