Incheon Beach Hike
Over the years I have spent in Seoul, there is one place I often went to for solace, sanity and sea glass. This required getting to the airport; but not to catch a plane, but rather a local bus routed to take visitors to their hotels, including the Grand Hyatt, and then later out to an enchanting series of beaches separated by rock formations and minutes of walking distances. As each beach along the southwestern stretch of Yongyudo Island near Incheon International Airport has its own character and unique appeal, they make a must-see destination for anyone visiting Seoul with some downtime—they are conveniently located near the airport, as well! Let me walk you through the most prominent of the beaches I had the pleasure of hopping through on this misty, un-crowded autumn day.
1. Wangsan Beach
Wangsan Beach is the furthest major Incheon beach on the bus route, so far. Although this beach is bigger and more spacious than its popular neighbor, Eulwangni Beach, it is often less-trafficked than preceding beaches, thus offering soothing wide-open sandy spaces and relative quiet. There are a few hotels, seafood soup (galguksu) restaurants and a coffee shop; and new construction is taking place in anticipation of bigger crowds to come. One major plus to sea glass hobbyists, like myself, is that Wangsan Beach offers an abundance of exquisite aqua-blue sea glass in various shades and hues I had rarely seen elsewhere—even on other Incheon beaches!
2. Eulwangni Beach
Eulwangni Beach, as I mentioned before, is, by far, the most populous and celebrated of the Incheon beaches. The beach itself is a picturesque alcove flanked by two rocky, tree-lined hills, and boasts a wide array of restaurants, hotels, karaoke joints, coffee shops and convenience stores to accommodate regular weekend and holiday traffic. There is even a playground nestled in a small grove of shade pines, with some “green” power-free exercise equipment on the side for the grownups. Eulwangni is, by far, the most family-friendly of the Incheon beaches, as well as the most accommodating for large groups and events like company picnics.
3. Fairy Rock (Seonnyeo) Beach
Fairy Rock or “Seonnyeo” Beach is one of the smaller beaches, whose rock formations beckon for beachgoers and visitors to stop and snap some photos on the way to the bigger beaches. There are few accommodations, basically a camp ground and a few mom-and-pop seafood soup restaurants. And despite its natural splendor, Fairy Rock Beach is mainly, from what I have seen, a scenic stopover on the trail to the bigger beaches.
4. Masian Beach
Masian Beach, like Fairy Rock, is smaller and less populous than the Eulwangni and Wangsan Beaches. Masian seems largely to be a fishing beach, as many go there to camp and to fish, and is often dotted with tents and fishing boats. During low tide, residents, campers and visitors can often be seen hauling buckets out to its vast mud plains in search of sand crabs, snails and mud fish to eat or sell. Masian also offers spellbinding views of small islands and distant mountains.
To get to the Incheon beaches from Incheon International Airport, go to the Passenger Departure Terminal and then exit at the Gate 2 platform bus stop. Buses 302 or 306 will take you to Eulwangni and Wangsan Beaches. *Tip: Bus 306 usually runs the more “scenic” route that goes past the smaller beaches, while 302 will usually fast-track visitors straight to Eulwangni and Wangsan Beaches.
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It is a great beach guideline~^^