Jebudo Island

Jebudo is an island the sea swallows its road to twice a day. The 2.3 km causeway linking it to the mainland lies below the high-tide line, so when the tide comes in the road disappears under water for three to four hours at a time. Driving across the sea floor at the right moment, watching the sun set behind Maebawi rocks at the southern tip and digging for clams on the mudflats are what make this small island special.

Name and history: carry the child, steady the old

Jebudo covers just 0.98 km². It was long called Jeobiseom or Jeopbiseom, "the island seen from afar". In the mid-Joseon period it became Jebu-ri, from the first two characters of a line in the Thousand Character Classic, jeyak bugyeong, explained locally as "carry the children and support the elderly" across the mudflats.

Islanders traditionally lived from fishing and farming, but since the mid-1990s tourism has boomed and guesthouses and restaurants have multiplied. Close to Seoul, Incheon, Suwon and Ansan, it is now one of the capital region's classic island outings all year round.

What to see

• The sea road: a two-lane road 2.3 km long and 6 m wide from Songgyo-ri in Seosin-myeon to the island, with mudflats on both sides. Just before the tide turns, the water creeps right up to the edge of the tarmac.
• Maebawi (Hawk Rocks): rocks at the southern end of the beach named for their resemblance to a hawk's beak. There is one large rock and two smaller ones; at high tide they stand in the sea, at low tide you can walk out over sand and pebbles. The spot is famous for sunsets.
• Jebudo Beach: restaurants and shops line about 1.4 km of the west-facing shore, a popular summer escape.
• Mudflat activities: wide mudflats surround the island, and the fishing-village experience centre runs clam-digging and similar programmes.
• Seohaerang Sea Cable Car: a 2.12 km cable car over the sea from Jeongok Harbour on the mainland to Jebudo, looking down over mudflats and water, and a way to reach the island regardless of the tide.

Good to know

• The island is shaped like an inverted triangle, with its southwestern tip stretching into the sea like a swallow's tail. Dangsan (62.4 m) rises in the middle and Tapjaesan (66.7 m) in the northwest.
• The three Maebawi rocks are also nicknamed, from largest to smallest, the Groom, the Bride and the Servant.

Nearby

• Jeongok Harbour: home to the mainland cable car station; you can ride the cable car in and drive out over the sea road.
• Tando Harbour and Nuemseom: a harbour across the water on the Ansan side and the islet just offshore, another good sunset stop.
• Daebudo: the large island linked by the Sihwa Seawall, an easy addition to a west-coast drive.

Tripto tips

• Check the tides first: the road is flooded twice a day for 3 to 4 hours each time. Look up the Jebudo tide timetable on the Hwaseong city website and cross only within the open windows; if the water rises while you are on the island, you will have to wait for the next opening.
• Cable car: runs weekdays 09:00–19:00 (ticket sales until 18:00) and weekends and holidays 09:00–20:00 (until 19:00). Fares vary by cabin type, so check on site or with the operator.
• Access: Maebawi and the beach are always open, all year, with parking. The Jebudo travel station has showers and foot-washing taps.
• Time needed: half a day is plenty for a beach walk, sunset at Maebawi and dinner. If you plan to stay for sunset, make sure it falls within a sea-road crossing window.