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While Boryeong may not sound familiar to you, it isn’t until you hear the name in context of its annual mud festival or Daecheon Beach, that it will start to ring a bell.
Last year, the famously muddy event was not the same and the protocol for its famous beach is also different, but Boryeong is still a lovely destination with plenty more to offer. Below are a few of the other activities which make Boryeong a place you should add to your travel list.
Daecheon Beach
With entertaining rides and great waterfront seafood restaurants and a magnificent 3.5-kilometer coastline, Daecheon Beach is considered a favorite summer gateway amongst Koreans.
This expansive sandy beach is a great place to spread out on and enjoy sand volleyball or sand soccer. Its close proximity to area hotels makes it an easy pick for a weekend itinerary. It is also a 10-minute taxi ride (10,000 won or $8.32) away from the Daecheon Station and bus terminal.
Address: Daecheon Beach 2212-1, Sinheuk-dong, Boryeong-si, Chungcheongnam-do, 대천해수욕장 공용주차장 http://naver.me/5uBngsS0
Paragliding
At Daecheon I had the opportunity to knock off another item from my bucketlist. Skydiving was crossed off earlier this year, and at Daecheon I tried paragliding.
The experience of tandem paragliding was similar to tandem skydiving. I filled out a legal waiver and received a briefing from my tandem pilot, Lee Sangki.
After that, other paragliders and I hopped on a truck and were transported to the Okmasan flying site at an altitude of around 600-meters high. The view was spectacular. While Lee prepared the inflatable canopy, I put on my coveralls and helmet. Lee helped me into the harness and checked all of my gear before boarding.
Take off was much easier than I thought. After a few steps running down the steep hillside, I was soon up in the air, the green farms below, the sea ahead and the mountains on either side of us.
Where paragliding differed from skydiving was that it’s much gentler and quieter. I enjoyed the serenity of the landscape and the smooth travel. The paragliding landing was safe and also easier than the butt sliding of skydiving I experienced before.
Did I say it was an amazing experience? I absolutely recommend trying this at least once in your life.
Address: 72, Seongjusan-ro, Boryeong-si, Chungcheongnam-do, 충남 보령시 성주산로 72 Hours: 9 a.m. to 7:30 (summer season), 9 a.m. to 5:30 (winter season) Tandem Paragliding Rates: 80,000 to 140,000 won (The more money you pay, the longer your flight times and the more flight skills you can experience.) What Company Needs to Know: For reservation, you need to text the below information to 010-2488-4129 or by instructor’s e-mail hl1tal@naver.com
Name(s) of client and phone number
Point of departure
Requested time & date of flight
Number of people in group
Weight of participant (If your weight is over 100kg, you must notify instructor for approval)
Sky Bike
Another activity you must try at Daechen Beach is the Sky Bike. Plan ahead as there are only two sessions per day: from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
I waited for about 20 minutes to get a “waiting ticket” and spent 15 minutes more until my number was called. Sometimes the tickets are all sold out earlier than its closing time, so come early and spend some time around the beach after you get the waiting number ticket.
Since this attraction requires a minimum of two riders, I asked one couple from Humphreys in the line to ride together with me. The more people in your party, the lower the ticket costs. We paid 26,000 won for three people.
Hop on and pedal on a track 15 meters above the sea and enjoy the stunning view of the West Sea. The red- and yellow-colored railroad track is automated, you can stop pedaling for a while and sit back and relax. The 40-minute round trip ride was enjoyable, and the sea breeze felt nice.
Address: 79, Haesuyokjang 10-gil, Boryeong-si, Chungcheongnam-do, Use Waze to drive to 짚라인&스카이바이크: https://waze.com/ul/hwy3ywezqh Price: 22,000 won for two, 26,000 won for three, 30,000 won for four people
ZipTrek (zipline)
From the Sky Bike you’ll notice the joyful cheers of people on the nearby zipline. I headed there next for a more accelerated adrenaline rush.
Since it’s the summer holiday season, expect a bit of wait to hop on. I paid 18,000 won for my zipline ticket and spent time on the beach during the 40-minute wait for my turn. You can also buy an entrance ticket to the observation deck from the 53-meter-high launch point, which includes free beverages and is discounted with a zipline ticket purchase. Whatever you pick to do while you wait, you’ll hear your number called over the loudspeakers.
After I placed my belongings at the ticket counter, the guides got me outfitted in a harness, helmet, and the other necessary gear to launch off on the 613-meter-long zipline, which can reach speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour.
After a quick photo with the ocean view as my backdrop, the guide counted down before launching me off the zipline platform. The ocean breeze whipped past my face, I was overtaken by adrenaline and the view of the sunset took my breath away. While it may seem a little pricey at first, it was worth every penny and I would definitely do it again.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in August Phone: 041-934-3003 Website: http://www.ziptrek.co.kr/main/index.asp
Seafood restaurant
Probably one of the most difficult feats of this excursion was finding a restaurant serving Western or Korean food. There was a burger place, but it had bad reviews, so I settled on having seafood.
Most of the restaurants on the beach sell kalguksu soup or grilled clams. However, if you’re traveling by yourself, bear in mind that a few do not take solo diners.
Eventually, I settled on Moa-Jogae-Gui, a seafood restaurant serving up kalguksu soup for 7,000 won. Kalguksu, or seafood knife-cut noodle soup, is a hot soup with wheat noodles literally cut by knife. In other parts of South Korea, you may find kalguksu served as a chicken soup, but here in Boryeong, you’ll find the restaurants use the local seafood for this delicious soup.
My bowl was served up within 10 minutes of placing my order and I really enjoyed the flavor of this kalguksu.
Address: 92, Haesuyokjang 4-gil, Boryeong-si, Chungcheongnam-do Hours: 10 a.m. to midnight., open daily Price: Range 40,000 – 20,0000 won
Uyu Changgo (Café and dairy farm)
If you plan to drive down to Boryeong, Uyu changgo is a great pit stop to check out on your way to Daecheon Beach. You’ll find this café and dairy farm about a 1.5-hour drive from Camp Humphreys. Here, the dairy cattle wander freely on 810 acres of land.
Uyu changgo can be translated to “milk storage room,” but you’ll realize that this place is far from a rustic dairy barn. This milk-carton-shaped giant building is a dairy outlet featuring organic items.
I ordered their signiture milk ice cream for 3,800 won and roll cake with yogurt filling for 6,500 won. The milk ice cream was simple and delicious. They also offer a milk and chocolate swirl cone for 4,100 won.
The roll cake with gooey and sweet yogurt was really satisfying. Inside the café, you can also pick up merchandise like coffee mugs and other items.
The great thing about this farm is that there are many Instagram-worthy spots. There’s also a small petting zoo area where kids can interact with calves, rabbits and goats.
Address: 216, Haman-ri, Cheonbuk-myeon, Boryeong-si, Chungcheongnam-do http://naver.me/G4zyugPh 보령우유창고 Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Open year-round Website: http://brmilk.kr/yc5
