Marado Island

Marado is the southernmost island of South Korea. It lies about 11 km south of Moseulpo and covers just 0.3 km², so you can walk around the whole island in a little over an hour. Black basalt cliffs ring a flat, grassy plateau, and at the southern tip a stone marks "the southernmost point of the Republic of Korea".

The island

Marado is thought to have formed from a separate undersea eruption, although no crater can be seen. The coastline is 4.2 km long and the highest point is only about 39 m, so the island looks like one gently sloping meadow. The north-west, east and south coasts are cliffs about 20 m high, with sea caves cut by the waves. Near the landing you can see a cross-section of thin lava flows stacked on top of each other.

The surrounding sea preserves warm-water seaweeds very well. 72 species of green, brown and red algae grow here, and several marine animals were recorded here for the first time in Korea. The area was designated the "Marado Natural Reserve", a Natural Monument, in 2000.

How people came to live here

Marado was uninhabited for a long time. According to tradition, a few poor farming and fishing families from Moseulpo settled here around 1883 with permission from the governor of Jeju. They burned the forest to make fields, and the original woodland disappeared. The pine grove in the middle of the island was planted later. Accounts of exactly who arrived first and when differ slightly.

What to see

• Southernmost marker stone: On the rocks at the southern tip, always busy with people taking photos.
• Marado Lighthouse: On the highest part of the island, with a view over the whole island and the sea.
• Janggun Rock (General's Rock): A large rock that islanders have long regarded as their guardian.
• Halmangdang (Agi-eopgae-dang): A small shrine where haenyeo divers prayed for safety, linked to a sad local legend.
• Coastal path: The path along the clifftops passes sea caves and looks back across the sea towards Jeju.

Good to know

Marado is famous for jajangmyeon, noodles in black bean sauce. Several Chinese-Korean restaurants are packed into this tiny island, and most visitors have a bowl before leaving. The island also has a branch primary school, a Catholic church and a Buddhist temple.

The name and the islanders

Old records spell Marado with different Chinese characters: one in the 16th-century geography Sinjeung Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam, another in the Jeju gazetteer Tamnaji, and a third on the famous 19th-century map Daedong Yeojido. The meaning of the native name "Marae" is unclear. Before people settled here, it was reportedly also known as Geumdo, the "forbidden island".

Only a small number of people live on Marado; sources put the population anywhere from about 80 to around 140. The surrounding waters are known for abalone, turban shells and seaweed, and haenyeo divers have long worked them. Their prayers at the Halmangdang shrine are part of that life. Because the island is so small, the school, church, temple and lighthouse are all just a few minutes' walk from one another.

Tripto tips

• Getting there: Boats run from Unjin Port (Moseulpo South Port) in Daejeong-eup and from Sanisudong Port near Songaksan. The crossing is usually given as about 30 minutes. When you buy your ticket, check the time of the boat back so you know how long you will have on the island.
• Weather: Sailings are often cancelled because of wind and waves. Check on the morning of your trip.
• What to wear: The island is very windy, so dress warmly in winter. There is almost no shade, so take a hat and water in summer.
• Time: About 1.5–2 hours for a walk around the island and a meal.