Iho Tewoo Beach

About 10 minutes by car from Jeju International Airport, this is the closest beach to downtown Jeju City. The symbols of Iho Tewoo Beach are its horse lighthouses, one red and one white, standing at the ends of the breakwaters. At sunset the sun drops behind them while planes heading in and out of the airport pass overhead. It is a place to enjoy the sea, a pine wood and the evening light right next to the city.

The story behind the name

The beach is named after the neighbouring village of Iho and the teu, a traditional Jeju raft. Made of logs lashed together, teu were once used here for fishing and gathering seaweed. Each summer the Iho Tewoo Festival lets visitors ride a teu and watch traditional fishing methods being re-enacted; in 2025 it ran from 25 to 27 July.

What to see

• Horse lighthouses: two 12 m lighthouses modelled on Jeju ponies, a red horse and a white horse, one on the inner and one on the outer breakwater. The colours act as markers to guide boats into the channel. From the sand the two seem to face each other.
• The beach: gently sloping sand with a darkish tint. The tidal range is large, so wide sand flats appear at low tide.
• Pine forest: a pine wood backs the beach, with a wooden boardwalk and a pavilion, good for a shady rest.
• Wondam: at the lowest tides, wide sand flats appear along with low stone walls. This is a wondam, a traditional Jeju fish trap that used the rise and fall of the tide to strand fish behind the stones; here it has been restored as the "Iho Mosal-won".
• Breakwater fishing: local anglers favour the breakwater as a fishing spot.
• After dark: the beach and pine wood are lit at night, making it pleasant for an evening walk.

Tripto tips

• Sunset: Iho Tewoo is one of the best sunset spots on Jeju's north coast. Arrive about 30 minutes before sunset and look towards the lighthouses from the sand.
• Time needed: 1 hour for the beach and lighthouses, 2–3 hours if you swim or stay for sunset.
• Swimming: the beach is open all year and free, but only swim during the summer season when lifeguards are on duty. On windy days the waves can be high.
• Parking: the beach car park holds about 30 cars and fills quickly on summer evenings. Being so close to the airport, it makes a good first or last stop of a Jeju trip, for instance before returning a rental car.
• Plane spotting: the beach lies near the runway approach, so you can photograph planes landing and taking off over the sea.
• Walk on: the beach lies on Jeju Olle Route 17 (Gwangnyeong to old Jeju City). Head east along the shore to Dodubong, an easy volcanic cone, then follow the Yongdam coastal road to Yongduam rock. Short on time? Even the walk to the top of Dodubong gives a view over the runway and the sea.