Gangneung’s Sungeut Beach in Gangneung is Quiet and Ideal
The beaches on the northeastern shores of Korea always stun me. The white sands and the emerald blue clear waters that lap against the shore are so dreamy. It’s a wonder that anyone lives in a city NOT on a coast in Korea when the kind of beauty that exists in Gangneung is out there. We took three days and went out to Sungeut Beach (์๊ธํด๋ณ). It’s a bit smaller than the other popular beaches in the vicinity and doesn’t offer the numerous cafes and restaurants of the areas surrounding, but that meant it was perfect for our first trip to the coast of the season.
Gangneung is a popular summer destination for Seoulites looking to find the best beaches in Korea. There are white sand beaches with beautiful blue emerald waters. Some of the beaches are more popular like Jeongdongjin Beach and Gyeongpo Beach but we were looking for a quieter option and found it at Sungeut.
Plan your trip to Sungeut Beach in Gangneung, Korea:
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How To Get There
Address: 235-5 Anhyeon-dong, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do (๊ฐ์๋ ๊ฐ๋ฆ์ ์ํ๋ 235-5)
By public transportation: The most comfortable way to travel to the east coast now is most definitely the train which you can catch from Seoul Station and take straight out to Gangneung Station. Trains leave every hour from 5:00am until 10:00pm and take around two hours. The tickets cost between W26,000 and W44,000 depending on the seats chosen. From the train station, you can catch a bus to the beach or take a taxi which would be less than 15 minutes.
What To Know
Sungeut Beach is beautiful and lacks the crowds that most of the northeastern beaches get in the summer. The water is so clear and beckons anyone that visits to dive in. We dug our toes in the sand, built whatever the little one was musing over and looked for seashells, sticks and other beachy finds.
While Sungeut Beach is rather small, it does have all of the amenities that we needed. There was umbrella rental as well as plastic lounge chairs and large wooden platforms that could be used for sitting on, laying on or eating on without fear of getting sand everywhere. There was a bathroom and changing room and a lifeguard on duty.
There was a small convenience store as well as the larger CU just across the street and there were tubes to rent too. There was also a parking lot for people passing by to stop over to see the fun as well.
On the southern end is a cool modern look-out for people to climb up for views and fishermen perch on the stones that jut out to catch their meal for the night presumably.
In the evening the second day we donned some of our threads from our recent trip to Hawai’i for a family portrait fun. You get a tripod and this is what happens after all. Actually, there seems to be this newish trend on Korean Instagram for people to hashtag when they’ve taken a photo themselves. It’s a little different than the standard “selfie” using a selfie stick or just a hand but they set up a shot with their tripod, step in and get some pretty awesome photos.
This summer, I’ve noticed more and more couples and solo adventurers taking part. I don’t mind jumping on in and doing it too and there were a few other students and others around us doing similar photo sessions… though maybe not in bright Hawaiian threads like us.
My Hawaiian dress is actually a retro find from my grandmother’s closet. She went to Hawai’i twice, once in the mid 70’s and once in the early 80’s and she bought this dress on one of those trips. When I was in high school, I found her closet of amazing dresses that she wasn’t ready to part with but didn’t have a place to wear and got a few. This is one of my favorites to wear to the beach because it’s just so perfect.
I wish they still made things with this quality. While we found numerous Hawaiian shirts and little dresses like the one our daughter is wearing, we found nothing of similar quality to this Hawaiian dress that my grandmother purchased some 40 years ago. It’s so perfect for the beach though.
Other Beaches in the Gangneung Area
Sungeut Beach provided a great family getaway location. Plenty of places to to check out and the beach was quiet and inviting.
If you don’t have a car like us though and want to have an easy trip out to the Gangneung area and see spots made famous in the drama ‘Goblin’ and some of the beautiful beaches, then definitely join a tour group. Companies like Klook know what you want to see and will take you right there easily and efficiently. Definitely don’t miss the beauty out on the east coasts of Korea.
There are really beautiful beaches throughout the Gangneung area. Here are some more to check out if you’re headed that way.
Gyeongpo Beach: Gyeongpo Beach is by far the most popular beach in the Gangneung area. It’s gorgeous, big and is not just a seaside. There is also a lake, a ton of activities, and don’t miss a stop into the near Chodang Sundubu Village for a local delicacy that is super delicious.
Naksan Beach: Gangneung can be extremely popular in the summer so sometimes it’s just better to look elsewhere. You don’t have to look too far though. Naksan to the north was one of our favorite getaways. Not only is the beach beautiful with plenty of restaurants and cafes to sup in, but there is a cliff with a stunning temple on the top as well.
Jeongdongjin Beach: This beach is famous as it features the Sun Cruise Resort a ship shaped resort on the side of a hillside that overlooks the beach. The drama “Hourglass” filmed here also helped. The beach is absolutely gorgeous so it’s no wonder people flock to the area. Maybe you’ll get lucky like us and not meet a soul around when you go though.
Surfyy Beach: If you’re looking to get your surf on in Korea, head to Surfyy Beach which is ONLY for surfers. It’s near Hajodae Beach and is an awesome experience. Whether you have experience or not, there are teachers and surf. Get out there.
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4 Comments
Jeff Rogers
This is a great article, and the pictures are stunning. I am an American living in Gangneung with my Korean wife for the past 3 years. We walk along the beach between Amok and Gyeongpo almost every day. There is a pine forest strip along that area which was planted initially to block Tsunami surge, but with the beach just there, it has become a great place to do a little peaceful exercise.
Gangneung is a great place to visit, but an even better place to live.
Hallie
I hear ya! I’d love to live there unfortunately, since my husband is a musician, Seoul is about the only place for him if he wants to be successful. I’d love to live there though. We drove through the pine trees that I think you’re talking about. It looked like a nice little forest to enjoy a little shade under when the hottest part of the day has arrived.
Natasha
Gorgeous photos! Have you been down to Yeosu yet? We have some beautiful beaches ๐
Hallie
I haven’t been to Yeosu yet but I keep seeing beautiful photos from down that way. I think I’ll have to make a trip soon! Where should I go?