Gujora Fortress and Saetbaram Trail

Behind the village of Gujora on Geoje's east coast lies Gujora Fortress, built by the Joseon navy to keep out Japanese raiders, and from the village the Saetbaram Trail leads up to it through a bamboo grove. After a bamboo tunnel so dense it blots out the sky, you emerge on a hillside where Gujora Beach and the seas around Naedo and Oedo islands open up beyond the old walls. In a little over an hour you can loop through village, bamboo, fortress and viewpoint.

A naval outpost guarding the sea

Gujora Fortress was built in the early Joseon period as a forward base against Japanese pirates. Tradition dates it to 1490, the 21st year of King Seongjong, and it acted as a lookout for the neighbouring Jisepo fortress. Records show the garrison moved to Okpo in 1604 and later returned here. The builders chose a valley on the north slope of Sujeongsan, where the walls were hard to spot from the shore.

The walls run for about 860 m and stand about 4 m high. Gates once opened on all four sides, with watch pavilions between them; today the interior is rice paddies and fields, with a well still in the middle. Listed as a Gyeongsangnam-do Monument in 1998 under the name Gujoraseong, it was renamed "Geoje Gujorajinseong" in 2018.

"Old Jora"

Gujora means "old Jora". Old records call the Jora north of present-day Okpo Sinjora, "new Jora", and this place, by contrast, Gujora. Later the "new" was dropped at Okpo, which is now simply Jora, while this place kept the "old" in its name. The protected fortress site today covers about 32,939 m².

Walking the Saetbaram Trail

"Saetbaram" is sailors' slang for the east wind, and the trail is named after the sound it makes in the bamboo.

• Bamboo tunnel: past pebble steps at the back of the village lanes begins a grove of sirit-dae, a slender bamboo that grows by the sea. It was once used for tobacco pipes and bowstrings; the grove you see was planted as a windbreak against the east wind and to mark field boundaries. It is so tall and thick that a cool breeze runs through it even in midsummer.
• Eondeokbakkum Park: leaving the bamboo, you reach an open viewpoint with the sea and islands below and the Oknyeobong ridge behind.
• On the walls: halfway along the ridge, the trail meets the walls of Gujora Fortress. From the top you look down on the sea on both sides and on Gujora village.
• Sujeongsan summit: a steeper path to the right of the walls leads to a viewing platform and pavilion. Naedo, Oedo and Haegeumgang stand out clearly, and on exceptionally clear days Tsushima is said to be visible.

Tripto tips

• Time needed: the loop from the village through the bamboo, the walls and Sujeongsan is about 2.5 km and takes a relaxed hour.
• What to wear: the bamboo path is narrow and overgrown in places, so trainers and long trousers are recommended. It is fairly dark inside the grove even by day.
• Opening: open at all times, with parking in the village. Information: +82-55-639-4178.
• Way down: the descent passes a former military guard post, now an exhibition, and a village shrine tree before reaching the village entrance.
• Combine with: Gujora village has a cruise pier for boats around Oedo and Haegeumgang, so the walk fits neatly into a day with Oedo Botania.
• When to go: the deep shade makes it pleasant even on summer afternoons, and it pairs well with a swim at the beach.