Best Things To Do in Namhae

After driving south for hours, our first stop in Namhae was Hallyeohaesang National Park, home of Geumsan Mountain. Geumsan has a spectacular view of the ocean, with winding hiking trails through the forest. As we hiked through, our souls felt light in the calm morning sun and ocean breeze. There are many vistas overlooking the coast and beaches below, making for one of the most beautiful and serene locations in the country. Korea has many hiking trails, even in populated areas, but this just might be my favorite place to take a stroll through the forest.

I’ve seen a lot of Buddhist temples at this point, but this one is solidly one of my favorites. There is a famous platform where you can take a picture of the temple and the view. Although the temple itself isn’t that large, it’s worth the visit to Geumsan on its own. When we visited, the ocean breeze was coming up the mountain, giving the temple a cool and peaceful feeling I’ve never experienced before. What a perfect way to start the day.

With our hike complete, we drove along the coast to our next major destination. On the way, we took a quick stop at the American Village. This isn’t a very significant stop, but everyone has it on their list, so we checked it out. This small neighborhood has about 20 houses built in an “American” style, which basically means they have siding, two-car garages, and sometimes shingles. It’s not that convincing, but seeing anything resembling American architecture in Korea is a rare sight. We got to take part in the great American pastime of loitering in a 7-Eleven parking lot as we took pictures of the small Statue of Liberty.

One of the best cafes in Namhae is Cafe Tol, sitting in a garden on a small outcrop in Darangi Village. It’s a small cafe, with an adorable cottage aesthetic and surprisingly delicious drinks. Yemisi got a oedi ade which is made of mulberries. Me being me, I had to get a pour over, although I didn’t have high hopes from such a small shop. They also have a specialty bread made of rice. Luckily it delivered, and I enjoyed a pretty good coffee in the comfort of the AC on a hot summer day.

Of course, the main draw of this cafe is the nature, just like everything else in Namhae. Outside, they have planted a lovely flower garden with native plants that sway in the ocean breeze. At this point I sound like a broken record repeating how nice the ocean view is, but I just couldn’t get enough. This is the perfect instagram photo spot. Even though the sun was trying to kill us, we loved feeling the wind and sun on our skin, it was healing.

At this point, it was noon and we hadn’t eaten anything but ramyun and pancake. We completed the loop around the island and returned to the main area for some much-deserved juk (rice porridge) and kalguksu (knife-cut noodles). Kalguksu is perhaps my favorite noodle dish of all time, and this restaurant makes everything with abalone. I love seafood, so this really hit the spot. The flavor wasn’t super strong, but everything felt perfectly balanced. Having salty seafood is just the perfect way to eat in a place like this.

Now it’s time for some action! Even though Namhae is mostly for relaxing, there are a few thrills to be had here. Mulmi Coastal Observatory is a tall, round building off the rocky east side of the island. There is a small kiosk cafe inside, as well as a nice three-story observation deck on the top. The main attraction is the skywalk, where you can strap into a harness and walk on the edge over the cliff. Yemisi is absolutely terrified of heights, and while I’m a thrill seeker, heights aren’t my favorite either. The deck isn’t that high, and the harnesses felt very sturdy, so I was willing to trust it, and we made our way onto the deck.

If you aren’t up for a thrill, but still want great coastal views, the Southern Observatory is located on the Dongbu Coastal Road. This is an iconic winding road that is a lot of fun to drive, with plenty of places to get out and take some pictures. There are a few benches on one cliff that we found so beautiful. On our way back, we took some time to enjoy nature, and I took the drone up to get one of my favorite pics of the trip. Visiting Namhae is very difficult without a car, so I’m assuming you have one, and I highly recommend taking a little drive along the coastal road during your trip.

Finally, we made it to the main attraction of Namhae, the German Village. Unlike the American village, this is a true village with hundreds of white buildings with orange roofs and timber framing. These Bavarian-style houses and businesses were built to accommodate Korean workers who lived in German mining towns in the 80s. I’m not sure how true this origin story is, but these days it is mostly for tourists, with lots of pensions, restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops. We started at the square at the top of the city, where you can find a small building with the best view of the village.

As we walked down through the village, we passed by a lot of shops selling ice cream, pretzels, beer, chocolates, and more. We wanted some authentic German pastries or chocolate to eat, but for some reason, every bakery we stopped in was only selling American chocolates at very high prices. However, if you’re looking for German beer, you’ll have much better luck, as every store we stopped by had several brands imported from all around Germany. The village isn’t that large, so you can’t spend a whole day there, but it’s great for exploring for an afternoon and taking great pics.

Did you think we would leave the German village without getting a beer? Of course not! Kunst Lounge is one of the many bars and restaurants serving up authentic German beer on tap. We got Ayinger, an award-winning Bavarian beer, as well as a bratwurst with sauerkraut, pickles, and baked beans to eat.

I was sure the beer would be great, and it was. It’s light and crisp, and I liked it (I don’t know anything about beer). The food is what I was more concerned about. Korea only has sweet pickles, and I was massively let down by the not-so-sour sauerkraut. The brats were fine, but nothing to write home about. Regardless, it was a great experience, and we loved drinking our beers on a warm afternoon overlooking the beautiful village.

To end our busy day, we wanted to relax at the beach. We chose Sangju Beach because it has an iconic swing and a nice statue of hands making a promise. Korean beaches are usually popping, with large tents renting life vests and tubes, and plenty of umbrellas to sit under. This late in the day, everyone had gone home, so we had the whole beach to ourselves. Sangju was very pretty, and we stayed there for a while enjoying the ocean. It’s super clean and perfect for walking, but we realized the sun was setting and we wouldn’t have much of a view.

I spontaneously decided to chase the sunset and go to Song Jeon Beach, where we might see the sunset better. I’m glad we moved, because as soon as we arrived, the sun erupted into incredible colors over the rocky hills. The view at Song Jeon is much better, with large hills and a popular observation deck hanging over the ocean, as well as more beautiful surroundings. However, the beach itself is not as nice as Sangju, with dirtier sand and a less inviting surrounding village. If you want good ocean views, Song Jeon is the way to go, but if you want a good beach experience, Sangju is perfect.

The next morning, we checked out of our Airbnb and prepared to drive to Boseong for another perfect day. Before we left the German village, we had to check out Mulgeon Forest. On most beaches in the south, there are several rows of trees–usually Korean pines–that protect the town from wind and water damage. Mulgeon is a 300 year-old windbreak forest near the German Village that is much more ancient, and has huge mature zelkova and hackberry trees instead.