Odongdo and its camellias
1 / 2Odongdo and its camelliasPhoto: Mobius6 / CC BY-SA 4.0
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A national-park islet of more than 3,000 camellia trees, joined to the shore by a 768 m breakwater. A 1952 lighthouse and 2.5 km of forest paths; free, open all hours. The Dongbaek train is ₩1,000, free at 65 and over, and stops 12:00–13:00. The camellias bloom from January and peak in March.
- Our number 3 for Yeosu, out of ten. It is the first thing we would spend the hours on.
- Short enough to be certain of: 1 hr 40 min door to door, so even a tender day works.
- On a 4–6h ashore call our verdict is "Yes" — pair it with the cable car: ride from jasan park, then walk 22 minutes down to the island. avoid the train's 12:00–13:00 break.
- It is not only a photo stop: crab that steals rice, sole in vinegar, and a street of carts that opens after you sail.
- Open 24 h, free — island paths are hilly with steps; 2.5 km of forest walkway.
Why Odongdo and its camellias is famous
Crab that steals rice, sole in vinegar, and a street of carts that opens after you sail
Odongdo is an islet in Hallyeohaesang National Park, joined to the mainland by a 768 m breakwater. It has more than 3,000 camellia trees, a 25 m lighthouse of 1952, a musical fountain and 2.5 km of forest paths. The city says the camellias start to bloom in January and are in full flower in March; the Korea Tourism Organization gives February to April. The Dongbaek train, named for the camellia, runs along the breakwater for ₩1,000, free for anyone 65 or over. It takes a break from 12:00 to 13:00.
The city publishes a list of ten dishes and calls one of them a rice thief. The rest of the list is a calendar of what the boats bring in, and your call date decides which page you are on.
Odongdo is a small wooded islet inside Hallyeohaesang National Park, tied to the mainland by a 768-metre breakwater. More than 3,000 camellia trees grow on it, and they flower from January to a March peak. A 25-metre lighthouse, in service since 1952, stands on the top, and a 2.5 km walkway loops the shore under the trees. The city says Yi Sun-sin trained soldiers here and cut arrows from the island's bamboo.
From the ship it is the nearest piece of nature. The breakwater begins a 37-minute walk from the terminal, or an eight-minute taxi. A small road train runs the breakwater for ₩1,000, free at 65 and over. The island itself is free and never closes. Everything on it is uphill and down; allow an hour for the loop.
The seodae-hoe house by the old-town marine park; vinegar still brewed in-house
The city formalises the crab lane in Bongsan-dong
Clean seawater piped 400 m offshore to the Gyodong live tanks
New arcade for ₩930 million; shopfronts shaped like boats
Gejang in Bongsan-dong or seodae-hoe at Samhakjip is a nine-minute taxi from the berth and fits any call. The pocha street opens at 18:00 from March to October, so it needs a late sailing.
Things worth knowing
- The road train stops from 12:00 to 13:00. Arrive in that hour and you walk the breakwater, about 15 minutes each way in the open.
- The train is free at 65 and over with identification; the kiosk is thought to want cash, so carry a few thousand won.
- The walkway has steps and slopes throughout. Flat shoes, and give the loop an hour rather than thirty minutes.
- For the 8 March 2027 call the camellias should be at their peak. In October the island is green and quiet and the walk is the point.
- Gejang baekban게장백반 — Soy-marinated raw stone crab served as a set with rice and side dishes; the city's "rice thief".
- Seodae-hoe서대회 — Raw sole in a chilli dressing sharpened with makgeolli vinegar; mixed into rice at the table.
Odongdo and its camellias and your ship
Both pins on one map, so the distance is a fact rather than a feeling.
Where the 1 hr 40 min goes
Counted from the moment you step off the gangway. The hour before all-aboard is not in this bar; it is already set aside.
8 minutes each way is the measured figure for taxi ~8 min, about ₩4,900, then the breakwater on foot or the ₩1,000 train; or 37 min on foot from the ship, not the optimistic one. If your ship is late, cut the 1 hr 24 min in the middle. Never cut the hour at the end.
Questions people send us
How far is Odongdo from the cruise terminal?
The start of the breakwater is 2.8 km away, about 37 minutes on foot along the Expo waterfront. A taxi takes about eight minutes at about ₩4,900 (our estimate). The lighthouse at the top is 3.6 km from the ship, about 47 minutes walking.
When do the camellias bloom?
The city says buds open in January and the trees are in full flower in March; VisitKorea gives February to April. The Westerdam call of 8 March 2027 falls at the peak. October calls will see no flowers.
Is there a charge to visit Odongdo?
No. The island is open all day and free. The road train across the breakwater costs ₩1,000 one way and is free at 65 and over. Walking the breakwater costs nothing and takes about 15 minutes.
Routes that already include it
Each one is a finished day we have walked and timed, with this stop in it. Read the route rather than assembling it yourself.
What to put beside it
Each of these still lands you back aboard with the hour to spare.
2 hr 40 min for bothExpo site, Sky Tower and the Big-O
The 2012 Expo grounds surround the berth.
See the detail → 3 hr 10 min for bothMaritime cable car over the bay
Korea’s first cable car over the sea, opened in 2014: 1.5 km between Jasan Park on the mainland and Dolsan Park on the island.
See the detail → 3 hr 10 min for bothGejang lunch on the crab street
Gejang baekban, raw crab marinated in soy and served as a set with rice, is on the city’s official list of ten tastes.
See the detail →