Jeju Guide: 가파도 Gapado Island

가파도 is the second most southern point of South Korea. The most southern point, Marado island is quite popular to visit for it's one feature of being the most southern part, but from what I hear, there's not much to do there, so we opted to check out Gapado instead. The ferry to Gapado only leaves about every three hours or so, so you need to time your departure and return well so you catch your boat.

What's so great about Gapado? Well, there's not much to do there actually, but if you're seeking to escape the tourists and get in a peaceful walk, bike ride or fishing, this would be the spot to do it. We spent just under 3 hours on the island and we had enough time to walk around a good portion of the island plus eat lunch. Needless to say, the island is tiny. I wish I knew how many people live on the island. While the town seemed reasonably big for an island that you can walk around in 2 hours, we probably saw a total of 20 islanders while we walked around. Maybe they like to sleep in on Saturdays...

On the "Oleh Kil" or walking path in Gapado, with Hallasan in the background.

A place for yearly Shamanistic rituals

And lots and lots of stone walls and farms.

If you plan on coming to Gapado, you need to go to the 모슬포항 (Moseulpo harbor). Most people getting on the boat will be headed for Marado, but you can purchase your round trip ticket for about 10,000 won, and call 82-64)794-3500 for times. Our departure was at 9:00am. I timed the boat ride. It was exactly 16 minutes. There aren't many English websites that mention Gapado, it's not on Wikipedia or on most blogs. But, I found you a few links, here, here and the most useful here if you'd like to see a little more of this remote island off the coast of Jeju.