It was past 11:15AM today when we left Iho Tewoo Beach, and we were getting pretty hungry – no meals on the budget flight we came in on. So, Mr. Lee drove us to a spot known as Jeju Dang Bakery and Cafe which is around the central part of the island. This cafe was a really pleasant surprise for us: we’d expected just a small cafe, but what we got was a very large two floor restaurant, filled with many lunch time diners, amazing deco, lovely ambiance, and very yummy pastries. The cafe is also surrounded by expansive lawns with an oreum in the background, and what looks like a farmer’s market also situated in the area.
Tummies filled, we continued onto Oedolgae Rock, a place we visited during our honeymoon 20 years ago. The Rock is a solitary volcanic pillar rising from the sea just offshore. The formation stands roughly twenty metres high and is surrounded by forested coastal cliffs. The area actually has several viewing platforms: the most obvious one that many visitors go to is the one that’s just 50 meters from the car park, but if you turn right on the trail and walk another 100m or so, there is a lawn with alternate viewpoints. While Oedolgae Rock itself is relatively small though, the surrounding coastal scenery is quite striking.
We stayed in the area for 30 minutes, then headed to Cheonjiyeon Waterfall next. This was the first of three waterfalls we’d be visiting in the area, and like Oedolgae Rock, is situated in Seogwipo. In fact, most of today’s itinerary was located in the Seogwipo area. The attraction is ticketed, with adults and youth admission at 2,000 and 1,000 KRW respectively. It’s a short, shaded walk of perhaps 150 meters from the entrance to the falls,well-paved and an easy walk on flat surface. The waterfall itself drops into a deep pool surrounded by steep rock walls and lush greenery. Although the waterfall is not particularly large, the surrounding gorge gives it a pleasantly secluded atmosphere. The area saw a fair number of visitors though this late afternoon, and there was turn-taking to get groupie pictures right in front of the waterfall.
Continued in the next post!