10 Best Sights in Eastern Jeju, Jeju-do

Arguably Jeju's most recognized tourist sight, Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak) is a dramatic tuff cone created around 5,000 years ago after an underwater volcanic explosion. Rising 600 feet out of the sea like a coastal fortress, the cone is ringed by dramatic cliffs sculpted by thousands of years of wind and waves, and capped by a grassy, bowl-shaped caldera. The peak was designated a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 2007 thanks to its "outstanding aesthetic beauty" and geological significance.

It takes about an hour to hike the well-maintained path to the lip of the crater, where you can take in views of the caldera and the sea beyond. The best views of the peak, however, are to be had at nearby Gwangchigi Beach, especially at sunrise, when the peak is silhouetted against the rising sun. If you're lucky, it will also be low-tide, exposing the moss-covered volcanic rocks along the beach.

This stretch of black sand near Seongsan is best known for its views of Seongsan Ilchulbong, especially at sunrise. In fact, many of the promotional shots of the peak are taken from here. If you're lucky, sunrise will coincide with low tide, when the sunlight will glisten off the beach's moss-covered volcanic rocks. Aside from the views, there are some good restaurants near the beach, as well as horse riding facilities and canola flower fields in spring. Amenities: food and drink; toilets. Best for: sunrise, walking.

This museum is dedicated to Jeju's remarkable female divers, or haenyeo, who dive more than 30 feet deep to collect shellfish and other sea critters without the help of oxygen masks. They do this up to seven hours a day, 90 days of the year, holding their breath for a full minute on each dive. Jeju's women free divers were inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016. In addition to its exhibits on haenyeo, the museum has a sculpture garden and gift shop. A visit here is usually paired with a trip to adjacent Sehwa Beach.

Like Jeju's other beaches, Sehwa Beach is a captivating medley of white sand, black rock, and jewel-toned water. What it lacks, however, are crowds—and here lies its charm. Still relatively untouristed, this is as tranquil a stretch of coast as you will find anywhere on the island. Sehwa has also attracted its share of hipsters from the mainland, as its trendy cafes and popular Bellongjang artisan market will attest. On the 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, and 30th of the month, the beach area also hosts one of northeast Jeju's biggest open air markets, where you'll find locally harvested seafood, carrots, and other produce. Nearby is the Jeju Haenyeo Museum, where visitors can learn about the lives of Jeju's famous female divers, or haenyeo. Amenities: food and drink; toilets. Best for: sunsets; sunrises; walking; solitude.

Though this beach's proper name is Udo Sanho Beach, it's popularly known as Seobinbaeksa, which means "beautiful white sand beach in the west." As the name would suggest, this strip of white sand on the western side of Udo is quite stunning, as are the views it provides of the Jeju mainland. The sand is actually made from coral, or more precisely, red algal nodules called rhodoliths. For this reason, the beach has been designated a natural monument by the Korean government. Amenities: food and drink; toilets; showers. Best for: sunsets; swimming; walking; snorkeling.

Go back in time and experience the traditional Jeju way of life in this preserved agricultural village. The thatched roof and lava rock wall homes have been passed down through the generations and locals still inhabit the 3,000 homes. Visitors gather here to watch villagers perform folk songs and listen to them speak in the Jeju dialect. Stop by the souvenir shop to pick up a harubang, the grandfather statue that has become one of the images of Jeju.

Seopjikoji Cape juts out into the sea from eastern Jeju, not far from the impressive volcanic cone of Seongsan Ilchulbong. Unique among Jeju's coastal sites, the cape is made of red volcanic ash, or scoria. Gentle hiking trails take you along the cape's fields and hills, providing lovely views of the sea and surrounding area. Jeju's native horses graze here, and in spring, the fields blaze golden with canola blossoms. The Phoenix Island Villa Condo & Club House owns most of the cape. The resort includes Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando's Glass House, a minimalist concrete and glass cafe and restaurant overlooking the sea, and the Genius Loci, a tranquil mediation garden of concrete, stone, and water.

Just 15 minutes by ferry from the port of Seongsan, this small volcanic island used to be a hidden piece of bucolic old Jeju. In recent years, the hip crowd has discovered the place en masse, bringing trendy cafes, restaurants, and bed-and-breakfasts with them. Still, the island's patchwork of fields and pathways lined by volcanic stones walls remind visitors what Jeju was like before tourism transformed it forever. Fields of bright-yellow canola flowers light the island up in early spring; many charge small entry fees. The island also has hiking trails, bike paths, ATV and scooter rentals, scenic coastal cliffs and Seobin Beach, one of the finest white sand beaches in Jeju and East Asia's only beach made of rhodoliths (red algae nodules). On a culinary note, the island is renowned for its peanuts, which locals use to make ice cream, cheesecakes, beverages and other delicacies.

Not so long ago, the Woljeong Coast was a beautiful and relatively quiet stretch of white sand and emerald sea on the road to Seongsan in northeast Jeju. Nothing can remain secret forever, though, and the area is now a bit overrun with cafes, restaurants, and bed-and-breakfasts such as the Lunamar Pool Resort. That said, there are worse ways to spend an afternoon than taking in the captivating seaside scenery over an artisanal cold brew or craft beer. Try the carrot cake at the cafe Gujwa Sanghoe, a beautifully renovated traditional Jeju home with walls of volcanic rock. Some of the cafes have placed colorful wooden chairs on the beach boardwalk; these have become popular photo spots. Woljeong Coast's water is pretty shallow, making it ideal for children. At the same time, the area gets consistent waves, drawing plenty of surfers. Amenities: food and drink; toilets; lifeguards; showers. Best for: sunsets; sunrises; surfing; swimming.

Trekkers and photographers flock to this low-lying, horseshoe-shaped volcanic cone in Jeju's northeast for its gentle, undulating landscapes and its ever changing seasonal foliage. It takes just 15 minutes of easy hiking to reach the top of the cone, where you can take in views of Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak), Udo Island, and some of Jeju's other prominent volcanic cones. You can circumnavigate the entire crater in a leisurely one-hour hike. The cone attracts many hikers particularly in autumn, when colonies of shining silvergrass cover its slopes.