Frequently Asked Questions
At the quay built for the 2012 international exposition on the oceans. Futuristic pavilions and esplanades surround the gangway itself, which is unusual: the whole first part of the day can be done on foot, with no shuttle or taxi.
Yes, and it is one of the great advantages of this call. The Expo site starts at the foot of the gangway, and the 750-metre breakwater leading to Odongdo islet is a short walk from the terminal. Only the cable car, the old harbour and Dolsan Island need a short ride.
An islet covered in camellias, linked to the town by a 750-metre breakwater reaching into the bay. You cross it watching the fishing boats come in, then paths wind under bamboo up to a small lighthouse. In the cool season, thousands of camellias dot the shade with red. Allow one to two hours to walk it without rushing.
Odongdo in the morning, the cable car next. The breakwater and islet take one to two hours, and the crossing between Jasan Park and Dolsan Island gives the finest view of the harbour. That still leaves time for Jinnamgwan pavilion and a meal at the old port market. Hyangiram hermitage, by contrast, takes a good half day on its own.
Yes. It spans the channel between Jasan Park and Dolsan Island, and some cabins have glass floors. The crossing unrolls the whole harbour, its bridges, its trawlers and its wooded islets. On the far side, Dolsan park offers the best viewpoint over the great bridge and the port stretched out below.
He is the admiral who repelled the Japanese invasions of the late 16th century with his famous armoured turtle ships, and Yeosu was his headquarters. Jinnamgwan pavilion, one of the largest single-storey wooden buildings in the country, keeps that memory above the old harbour, and a replica turtle ship is moored at the water's edge. Every Korean schoolchild knows the story by heart.
Raw fish landed that morning, and mustard-leaf kimchi, sharper than the cabbage version. Jeolla province is considered the best table in Korea, and Yeosu holds up its end. The market near the old harbour is the easy place to try both, elbow to elbow with the regulars.
The South Korean won and Korean. Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, even for small amounts. English is limited outside the Expo site and the main attractions; a translation app covers the rest.
Spring and autumn. Odongdo's camellias bloom in the cool season, from late autumn to early spring, which gives the islet its finest look outside the main tourist months. Summer is hot, humid and exposed to late-season typhoons.
Very much so. The Expo site keeps one of the country's largest aquariums, a useful refuge on a rainy day, and the glass-floored cable car is generally a hit. The Odongdo walk is easy, flat at the start, and the trails stay short.
