6 Best Sights in Southwestern Jeju and the Southern Islands, Jeju-do

A short ferry ride from the port of Moseulpo, Gapado is a relaxing piece of old Jeju. Home to fewer than 200 people, the remote island takes just one or two hours to fully circumnavigate. It's a lovely place, especially in spring, when much of the island is covered in fields of waist-high barley. Walk along volcanic stone-lined paths through seas of green-gold barley swaying in the ocean wind, taking in views of Jeju's Hallasan mountain in the distance. The island hosts an annual Barley Festival every April or early May. While you're on the island, check out the architecturally spectacular Gapado Artist in Residence (AiR), a gallery and creative space for Korean and international artists.

In the Jeju dialect, "gotjawal" refers to the thick forests of trees and climbing plants that cover the rocky ground on the middle slopes of Hallasan mountain. These forests are critical to Jeju's ecosystem, as the rainwater that falls here penetrates deep into the aquifer through the highly porous volcanic rock. These forests are home to about 750 species of indigenous plants and dozens of animal species, including several endangered and protected ones such as the exceptionally rare Black-headed Snake. Several gotjawal forests have been designated protected parks, including Gotjawal Provincial Park in southwest Jeju. Five trails make their way through half a square mile of forest. The highlight is the 50-foot high observation tower with breathtaking views over the forest and surrounding landscape. There's also a visitor's center and a cafe. Trekking or hiking shoes are recommended, and dress shoes and sandals are forbidden.

Eight miles off the coast of Jeju, this is the country's southernmost point. It's a tiny but stunning island, with steep cliffs, fantastical rock formations, lighthouses, and plenty of sea caves. You can comfortably stroll around the entire island in about an hour and a half. One scenic point is a tiny Catholic church shaped like an abalone shell. Have a bowl of jajangmyeon (Chinese noodles with black bean sauce), while you are here. Ferries leave every hour on the half hour from Moseulpo Port. The trip takes 30 minutes. Check weather conditions as the ferry closes for rough sea.

Opened by Korean cosmetic giant AmorePacific in 2001, Osulloc Tea Museum is an architecturally stunning complex located amid sublime scenery at the entrance of the sprawling Seogwang Green Tea Plantation. The museum's exhibits focus on the history and traditions of Korean tea, while the popular cafe offers a wide range of tea-based beverages and desserts, including green tea ice cream and green tea roll cakes. For a real treat, though, take a 55-minute tour and green tea class at the museum's Tea Stone annex, which embraces its setting amid a thick forest grove with transparent glass walls. Tours require reservations, and a Korean translator is a good idea. Even if you don't enter the museum itself, you can stroll around in the photogenic green tea fields nearby and gaze upon rolling hills and volcanic cones in the distance.

This grotto carved into the side of Sanbangsan mountain is a significant Buddhist shrine and one of the most important and popular cultural sites on the island of Jeju. The steep staircase climb is exhausting but well worth the effort for the panoramic ocean views. Once at the top, visitors can drink from the fresh mountain spring and make a donation to the life-sized Buddha statue.

The Yongmeori Coast is not really a beach, but a headland of phantasmagoric sandstone cliffs located where the dramatic lava dome of Sanbangsan mountain meets the sea. The cliff is actually the remnant of an old tuff ring produced by three undersea volcanic vents. Weathered by millennia of wind and waves, the highly stratified cliffs, which reach over 150 feet in height, sharply twist and turn as they make their way along the sea. Here and there, the sea has carved out coves, inlets, and caves. You can walk along the bottom of the cliffs, though entry is forbidden during inclement weather and high tide.