Daecheon Beach

About two and a half hours from Seoul by train, halfway down the west coast, a beach so long you can barely see its end stretches along the shore. Daecheon Beach is the largest beach on Korea's west coast, about 3.5 km long and 100 m wide. In summer it draws travellers from around the world to get covered in mud at the Boryeong Mud Festival; the rest of the year it pulls people in with seaside activities and west coast sunsets.

History: from foreigners' resort to mud beach

Daecheon was already established as a holiday resort for foreigners in the 1930s. Its gentle slope, shallow water and calm waves made it popular for family swimming, and its sand is said to be made of seashells ground down over centuries.

When Boryeong's coal mines closed in the early 1990s and the local economy suffered, the city turned to the mud of its tidal flats, until then seen as a drawback for tourism. Mineral-rich Boryeong mud was used to make cosmetics, and to promote them the first Mud Festival was held in July 1998. It has since grown into one of the festivals the Ministry of Culture promotes internationally.

What to see

• Boryeong Mud Festival: held every July or August around the beach. In 2026 it ran from 24 July to 9 August at the Boryeong Mud Expo Square, with mud play zones, concerts, drone shows and fireworks.
• Daecheon Sky Bike: pedal along 2.3 km of rail (return) set 8–15 m above the sea between the beach and Daecheon Port, a ride of about 40 minutes. It is most fun at high tide, when the water is right below you.
• Daecheon Zip Track: from the 19th floor of Daecheon Tower, a 613 m line drops from 52 m towards the sea. There is an observation deck on the 20th floor.
• Boryeong Mud Experience Centre: at the end of the beach, where you can try mud packs and mud massages.
• Sunsets and rocks: rocky outcrops line the southern end of the beach, and sunsets over the West Sea are another of Daecheon's draws.

Good to know

• Three squares: the long beachfront is divided into the Citizens' Tower, Mud and Fountain squares, each with its own events in summer.
• The seashell song stone: a monument on the beach carries the lyrics of "Lalala", the singer Yoon Hyung-joo's song about stringing seashells together, a nice fit for a beach known for its shell sand.
• Festival scale: by 2007 the Mud Festival was drawing about 2.2 million visitors to Boryeong in a year, and its final weekend is especially popular with foreign travellers.

Tripto tips

• Mud Festival tickets: in 2026 the general zone cost KRW 12,000 for adults Monday to Thursday and KRW 16,000 Friday to Sunday. Dates and prices change every year, so check the official website. The mud is hard to wash out, so bring old clothes and a towel.
• Sky Bike: runs 10:00–16:40 (break 12:00–14:00), closed on Mondays and on Seollal and Chuseok days. Prices are KRW 22,000 for two people, KRW 26,000 for three and KRW 30,000 for four.
• Zip Track: KRW 18,000 per person, listed as 09:00–20:00 in peak season and 09:00–18:00 off-season. It may close in bad weather, so call ahead.
• Getting there: trains on the Janghang Line from Yongsan Station in Seoul reach Daecheon Station in about 2 hours 20 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes. Buses from Dong Seoul or Seoul Nambu terminals take about 3 hours. From the station, take a local bus or taxi to the beach.
• When to go: July and August for swimming; spring and autumn for quiet walks and sunsets. During the festival, weekend accommodation fills up early, so book ahead.