Gyeongpo Beach

A long sandbar between Gyeongpoho Lagoon and the East Sea has become a beach. Gyeongpo Beach is the largest on Korea's east coast, known for 1.8 km of white sand and the screen of pines behind it. It has been a summer escape for so long that Koreans say "in summer, Haeundae in Busan or Gyeongpodae in Gangneung", and it is the same shore the Joseon poet Jeong Cheol described in his sixteenth-century verse travelogue Gwandong Byeolgok.

A sandbar between lagoon and sea

The beach stands on sand that built up between the sea and the lagoon of Gyeongpoho. The stream flowing out of the lagoon divides it: Gyeongpo Beach to the north, Gangmun Beach to the south. The sand is 1.8 km long and 80 m wide, fine-grained and gently sloping, and about 4 km of pine forest behind it breaks the wind. It lies some 6 km north of central Gangneung and about 1 km from Gyeongpodae, a pavilion counted among the eight great views of the east coast. The Gyeongpo area became a provincial park in 1982.

Gyeongpoho, the mirror lake

Gyeongpoho, right behind the beach, is a natural lagoon cut off from the sea by the sandbar. Its name means "mirror shore", for its still, clear water, and together with Gyeongpodae it became a national Scenic Site in 2013. Once 2–3 m deep, it is now only about 1 m. In the middle of the lake sit the small Wolpajeong pavilion and Bird Rock, which bears the characters "Joam" (bird rock), said to be written by the scholar Song Si-yeol. People say five moons rise at Gyeongpodae: in the sky, in the sea, in the lake, in your wine cup and in the eyes of the person beside you. Jeong Cheol is said to have ranked this spot first among the eight views of the east coast after seeing the moon over the lake.

What to see

• Sand and sea rocks: offshore, two rocky islets known as Oribawi and Simnibawi punctuate the view, and dark rocks break through the sand in places.
• Pine walk: the forest path runs parallel to the beach; in winter the pines are often dusted with snow.
• Gyeongpoho Lagoon: the lake right behind the beach is easy to circle on foot or by bike, with cherry blossoms in spring and lotus wetlands in autumn.
• Olympic rings: Gangneung hosted the ice events of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, and the rings on the beach are a popular photo spot from that time.
• Sunrise and festivals: a sunrise event is held before dawn every 1 January. During the summer season the beach hosts traditional performances such as the Gwanno mask dance and Gangneung farmers' music, along with beach festivals.

Tripto tips

• Hours and parking: the beach is open 24 hours and the beach car parks are free. Information: +82-33-640-4531.
• Swimming: swim only during the official summer season, when lifeguards are on duty. In peak season the beach gets very crowded; early morning is far more relaxed.
• Time needed: 1 hour for a beach walk, half a day with the lagoon and Gyeongpodae.
• Getting there: about 15 minutes by bus or taxi from central Gangneung. From KTX Gangneung Station, change to a city bus.
• Nearby: Gyeongpodae, Ojukheon and Seongyojang House are all close, an easy match for a day of Gangneung history. Following the coast south to the café street at Anmok Beach is another favourite route.