Gapa Island: Take a Trip Off The Coast Of Jeju Island

Gapa Island (가파도), the second southernmost point of Korea, sits just 5.5 kilometers off the coast of Jeju Island. Looking for something interesting to do in Jeju? Something a bit different to put on your Jeju Island itinerary? Take a trip to a nearby island. One of the most popular islands to visit off of Jeju Island is Udo Island. Another island that is lesser known though, is Gapa Island. There are a lot of things to do in Jeju, but island hopping and getting out on the water a bit is definitely something that should top your list.

Ready to take a trip to Gapa Island? Here’s what you should know;

• How To Get There
• What To Do On Gapa Island
  • Take The Jeju Olle Trail
  • Rent A Bike To Get Around
  • See What There Is To See
  • Get Some Food
• Tips For Your Trip To Jeju Island

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How To Get There

Gapa Island can be reached from Moseulpo Port (모슬포항) in Seogwipo. The island isn’t as famous as Mara Island the southernmost landmass of Korea, the other island accessible via the port, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to enjoy there. With far less people taking the ferry over, it’s the perfect island to get away from the touristy crowds and enjoy some alone time, or couple time, with nature.

Address: Gapa-ri, Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do (제주 서귀포시 대정읍 가파리)

Directions: From Unjinhang Harbor, ferries depart to Gapado at 9:00am, 11:00am, 2:00pm & 4:00pm.; Returning from Gapado to Moseulpo Port, ferries depart at 9:20am, 11:20am, 2:20pm & 4:20pm

• Tickets are purchased as a round-trip set.
• If you depart on the last ferry from Jeju Island, you will have to spend the night on Gapa Island or if you miss the last ferry back, you’ll have to spend the night. So be prepared and watch the time when you go.
• Tickets must be purchased at least 40 minutes prior to departure.
• On-site ticket purchase is available but do be aware that tickets may sell out in high season so it is recommended to purchase tickets in advance online or over the phone.

Cost: Adult round trip ticket: W13,100; Children round trip ticket: W6,600

Amenities on the island: restaurants, bike rental (W5,000), restrooms

Join a tour: Klook has two tours that include Gapa Island as well as other must-see spots on Jeju Island including Jeongbang Waterfall, Geumneung Beach, and Haneul Kkot Cafe. Check out this Klook Gapa Island tour to see if it suits your needs.

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What To Do On Gapa Island

Take The Jeju Olle Trail

The island is rather flat with the highest point only reaching 20.5 meters which makes walking along the Jeju Olle 10-1 path that runs around the island rather easy.

Rent A Bike To Get Around

You can rent a bike at the shop near Gapa Port and bike along the paths that circle and criss-cross the land. You won’t be able to miss the bike rental shop either. It’s the first thing you’ll see and it’s obvious that most people visiting the island for just a couple hours get bikes for the trip.

Regular bikes and tandem bikes are available for W5,000 and W10,000 respectively. Payment is only in cash so make sure you plan ahead. Bikes make it easier to get around to every part of the island and get back to the port in time for departure.

See What There Is To See

Low lying houses sit along a narrow road that runs down the center of the island and fields walled in by lava rocks stacked together spread out from there. Gapa is special in that it is a carbon-free island, the first in the country, and solar panels and wind turbines collect energy for the residents.

People have inhabited the island and started cultivating barley there since 1842. The fields are especially nice from late winter to early summer. The coasts of the island are lined with rocks that make walking out to sea rather easy, though be sure to wear comfortable shoes.

Pools of water collect between the rocks and make for a great place to take a swim and cool off in the heat of the summer. If you plan the ferries correctly, you can hop over to the island to grab some lunch and bike around before getting back to Jeju’s mainland.

Get Some Food

Be sure to have your Korean prepared to order some delicious fishy delights, but also perk up your ears to listen to some pretty strong Jeju dialect. The women of the island are strong, diving into the ocean to collect seafood for their meals, but they are very friendly and even when the restaurants are not technically open, they will gladly fill your belly with a hearty meal… if you can ask like we had to.

Noodle Restaurant (춘자네집)

On our trip out, we asked an older grandmother to point us in the direction of a good restaurant as we hadn’t eaten breakfast and were pretty hungry. She showed us to one, but finding that the door was closed and no one was inside she went and found the owner of the establishment, brought her back and told her to make us some food.

Little did we know, the owner really had nothing prepared in the back and after ordering we peered around into the kitchen to see that she was on a mat on the floor making noodles for our soup from scratch. Suffice it to say, we ate them all up as they were delicious and worth the wait.

She made us two kinds of soups to enjoy: spiral shellfish noodle soup (보말갈국수) and sea urchin noodle soup (서게갈국수). The kimchi was especially spicy, but a nice break from the soup on the palate and we were grateful she’d taken the time to feed us. This was just one of the truly beautiful places I visited while on Jeju Island. It was even more appealing after this experience with a local who took the time, even though her restaurant was closed, to hand make noodles while we waited and cook them up for us. What a treat and what a dish.

• Address: 96-1 Gapa-ro 67 beon-gil Daejeong-eub Seogwipo-si, Jeju (제주 서귀포시 대정읍 가파로67번길 96-1)
• Hours: 9:30am – 7:00pm

Green Barley Ice Cream

As I said, green barley is a specialty on the island and so is no wonder there is green barley ice cream to look out for. Perfect for photos with an interesting pale green color, and delightful in the hot hot summer, this is the snack to look out for.

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Tips For Your Trip To Jeju Island:

• This trip is ideal for people staying on the southwest coast of Jeju or in Seogwipo City.
• If you like the idea of taking a ferry to Gapa Island, you might like the idea of taking a ferry to Jeju! Here are all of the different options to get to Jeju Island from ferry to plane.
• Other stops to check out if you head there include the grotto on Sanbang Mountain which is just up from Yongmeori Coast and then go to the peak of Halla Mountain and of course the stunning Jeongbang Waterfall and don’t miss the beautiful Hamdeok Beach too. You can also visit Yakcheonsa Temple which features 80,000 Buddha statues.

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