Yeongheungdo Island

Yeongheungdo belongs to Ongjin County in Incheon, yet you do not need a ferry. From Oido in Siheung you cross the Sihwa seawall, pass Daebudo and Seonjaedo, and finally reach the island over the Yeongheung Bridge. Wind-bent hornbeam groves, beaches, mudflats and fishing harbours ring the island, which makes it an easy day trip to the sea from the Seoul area.

The island at a glance

Yeongheungdo covers 23.46 km², with a 42.2 km coastline, and its highest point is only 127.7 m, so the terrain is gentle. People have lived here since the Neolithic. In the Joseon period it belonged to Namyang, and it moved to Ongjin County in 1973 and to Incheon in 1995.

The island has been linked to the mainland only since late 2001. An access road was built for a large thermal power station on reclaimed land in the southwest, and with it came the 1.25 km cable-stayed Yeongheung Bridge between Seonjaedo and Yeongheungdo. That bridge is why you can now drive in.

What to see

• Simnipo Beach: a small beach at the island's northeastern tip, backed by a grove of hornbeams twisted by the sea wind. Sources put their number at around 300 or around 350. The grove has been protected since 1997, and there is a boardwalk, mudflat activities and a campsite.
• Janggyeong-ri Beach: a wide sandy beach in the northwest with a long belt of pines for shade. It faces west, so evenings here are lovely.
• Jindu Port: the fishing harbour right under the Yeongheung Bridge, with a seafood market and raw-fish restaurants. Many visitors stop here for lunch on the way in.
• Mudflats: the flats around Yeongheungdo and neighbouring Seonjaedo are a breeding ground for the Chinese egret and are listed as an Important Bird Area.

Good to know

The island has its old legends too. At the entrance to Nae-ri villagers are said to have torn down a pagoda to build the "Tapgol well", and another tale tells of a boy of enormous strength who grew up to become a ferryman.

Just before the Incheon landing in 1950, an Allied intelligence team used Yeongheungdo as a base to scout the channels and islands off Incheon. A memorial on the island marks the episode. At night, the lights of the Incheon International Airport area can be seen across the water from Simnipo.

Tripto tips

• Time needed: half a day for a beach or two and the harbour, or a full day with mudflat activities and the sunset.
• Check the tides: the scenery changes completely with the tide. Look up low-tide times in the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency tide tables before you go.
• Public transport: bus 790 runs from Oido Station (Line 4 / Suin–Bundang Line) via Daebudo to Yeongheungdo. Buses come only every 40 minutes or more, so check the timetable first.
• By car: traffic around Daebudo and the bridge is heavy on weekend afternoons. Arrive early and leave before sunset to avoid the worst of it.
• Best time: July–August for swimming, spring and autumn for walks and sunsets. Harbour and beach walks work in winter too.