Beaches

If Haeundae feels a bit like South Beach, Miami, then Gwangalli is Coney Island: laid back, more room to stretch out and a semi-abandoned, rusting amusement park.

While the summer bookend months of June and September are the best times to enjoy the beach with moderate crowds, July and August is when Haeundae explodes with upwards of 700,000 people swimming, lounging or shuffling along the boardwalk in the summer heat.

Officially Korea’s first beach (as of 1913), Songdo has re-emerged as a must-stop on local tours.

The 1.5-km-long Imrang Beach is also located in Gijang County and is famous for its fresh water and fishing.

It may be just on the other side of Dalmaji Hill, but Songjeong feels much further away.

Located at the estuary of the Nakdonggang River and just eight kilometers from downtown, Dadaepo Beach is a great place to chill out and have a picnic, collect a few seashells and go for a swim in the shallow surf.

One of the two major beaches in Gyesang County, the horseshoe-shaped beach, which runs from the point where the Icheon River meets the Icheon Port to Horyeok Port, gives a warm and cozy feeling.