Yangyang travel guide: surf beaches, Naksansa Temple and where to stay

Yangyang, Sokcho or Gangneung: who should stay here

Yangyang county runs roughly from Naksansa Temple, just south of Sokcho, down the coast past Hajodae to Jukdo and Ingu, with the Seoraksan foothills and the Osaek valley inland. Unlike its neighbours it has no compact city centre: the county town of Yangyang-eup has the bus terminal and a traditional market, while the places you come for are spread out along the coast and the hills behind it. That shapes the decision.

Stay in Yangyang if your trip is about the sea itself — surf lessons, a beach you can walk out to before breakfast, or a quiet few days with a book. VisitKorea describes Ingu Beach as wide, quiet and shallow, popular with novice surfers, with surf shops and accommodation behind it, and Yangyang's own smart-tourism project runs live surf webcams at 13 beaches in the county. Stay in Sokcho if you want a larger town with more restaurants and evening life, and treat Naksansa as a short hop south. Stay in Gangneung if you want a city with a railway station, and visit Yangyang's beaches as a day out.

Within Yangyang, the two sensible bases are Naksan Beach in the north and the Ingu–Jukdo stretch in the south. Naksan suits travellers without a car: VisitKorea places the beach about five minutes on foot from the Naksan bus terminal and lists cafés, restaurants and accommodation along it, and Naksansa is at its northern end. Ingu and Jukdo suit surfers who want to be in the water early and stay out until the light goes.

Surfing at Ingu, Jukdo and Surfyy Beach

Yangyang's surf scene is built on shallow, sandy beaches rather than reef breaks, which is why it works for learners. Jukdo is a small former island — VisitKorea gives its circumference as about 1 kilometre — now joined to the mainland and covered in pine and bamboo. Jukdo Beach lies to its north and Ingu Beach to its south. A path circles the island past Jukdojeong Pavilion and the Jukdo Observatory, both free and open around the clock when we checked; it is a good sunrise walk before a session. VisitKorea also lists Waveworks, a coworking space at Jukdo Beach, for travellers who want to mix remote work with surfing.

Surfyy Beach, just north of Hajodae Beach, is a 1-kilometre stretch designated for surfing. VisitKorea calls it the first of its kind in Korea and says it runs the largest surf school, with around 1,000 boards, lessons for beginners to advanced surfers, board and wetsuit rental, surf yoga and SUP. When we checked on 3 October 2026, VisitKorea listed introductory surf lessons at 50,000 to 60,000 won, beach yoga at 30,000 won and SUP at 30,000 to 40,000 won, with the surf school running from 10:00 to 18:00; it notes that rates change with the season, so confirm before you book.

If you are learning, take a lesson rather than renting a board on the first day: the instructor chooses the beach and the time for the conditions, and covers where to paddle out. Check the county's surf webcams the evening before. Outside July and August, beaches are not staffed for swimmers, so stay inside the area your school uses.

• Ingu Beach: shallow and popular with novice surfers; 12 Inguhang-gil, Hyeonnam-myeon
• Jukdo: island walk, pavilion and observatory between Jukdo Beach and Ingu Beach
• Surfyy Beach: surf school, rental, yoga and SUP; 119 Hajodaehaean-gil, Hyeonbuk-myeon
• Dongho Beach: a small beach near Yangyang International Airport with a surf shop, lessons and rental, according to VisitKorea

Naksansa Temple, Hongnyeonam and Uisangdae

Naksansa was founded in 671 by the Silla monk Uisang, according to VisitKorea, and is regarded as one of Korea's three main centres of devotion to Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, alongside Bomunsa on Ganghwa and Boriam on Namhae. Much of what you see is recent: a forest fire in 2005 destroyed 20 buildings, including the hall that housed the temple bell. The grounds include a 16-metre statue of Avalokitesvara.

The best part is on the cliffs. A path leads from the main temple to Uisangdae, a hexagonal pavilion on a seaside cliff where Uisang is said to have meditated, restored in its present form in 1995 and one of the east coast's classic sunrise points. Beyond it, the path continues to Hongnyeonam Hermitage and its Gwaneumgul Cave, set on the rocks right above the water. Together they are designated Scenic Site No. 27 under the name 'Uisangdae Pavilion and Hongnyeonam Hermitage of Naksansa Temple, Yangyang'.

When we checked on 3 October 2026, VisitKorea listed Naksansa as open daily from 06:00 to 17:30, with visitors required to leave the grounds by 18:30, and the Uisangdae listing gave entry as free; parking was listed at 4,000 won. For sunrise at Uisangdae, sleep at Naksan Beach the night before. The temple also runs templestay programmes, booked through its own website. Dress modestly and keep quiet around the hermitage, which is an active place of prayer.

Hajodae and the coast between the beaches

Hajodae is a rocky headland in Hyeonbuk-myeon, roughly midway along the county's coast, with rock stacks, pine forest and a pavilion on top of the cliff. VisitKorea explains that the name comes from Ha Ryun and Jo Jun, two late-Goryeo officials who became founding ministers of the Joseon dynasty; the current pavilion is a 1998 restoration. An old pine on the cliff became famous from the broadcast footage of the national anthem.

Wooden deck paths link the pavilion with a white unmanned lighthouse and the Hajodae Observatory along the Hajodae Trail. When we checked, VisitKorea listed the trail as open from 06:00 to 20:00 between April and September and 07:00 to 18:00 between October and March. Hajodae Beach, about a kilometre to the northwest, is around 1.5 kilometres long and, VisitKorea notes, slightly warmer than other east-coast beaches because two streams flow in nearby; swimming is supervised in July and August.

Combine Hajodae with Surfyy Beach, which is next door, or stop on the way between Naksan and Ingu. Without a car, a taxi between the headlands is the practical option; VisitKorea's airport guide puts Hajodae about 10 minutes by taxi from Yangyang International Airport.

Naksan Beach and Yangyang-eup

Naksan Beach is Yangyang's classic family beach. VisitKorea describes 4 kilometres of sand backed by pine trees, water less than 1.5 metres deep, and more than a million visitors a year since it opened in 1963. Naksanhang Port and the temple hill close its northern end; a lagoon at the mouth of Namdaecheon, the stream that comes down from Seoraksan, closes the southern end. It is also a winter sunrise spot, busiest on New Year's Day.

Inland, the county town of Yangyang-eup has the intercity bus terminal and the Yangyang Traditional Market at 9 Nammun 5-gil. VisitKorea notes that the market grew up as a meeting point for produce from the mountains and the sea, with goods that change with the season; its Korean name marks it as a market held on dates ending in 4 and 9. The Namdaecheon riverbanks are the venue for the autumn festival.

Inland: Osaek and the Seoraksan side of Yangyang

Yangyang's Seo-myeon district reaches up into the southern part of Seoraksan National Park. Osaek is known for its carbonated, iron-rich mineral spring, about 20 kilometres west of Yangyang, and for Jujeongol Valley, where VisitKorea describes a 7-kilometre trail from the spring to Yongsopokpo Falls that is known for maple colour in autumn. When we checked, VisitKorea listed the valley entry hours as 03:00 to sunset in summer and 04:00 to sunset in winter, with free entry.

Above Osaek, Osaengnyeong Pass (Hangyeryeong on the Inje side) is a 1,004-metre pass on National Road 44 and the start of the shortest route to Daecheongbong, Seoraksan's highest peak. That climb is a serious full-day hike; see our Seoraksan guide before attempting it. Trail access can be restricted in bad weather, so check the national park's notices on the day.

Autumn: the Pine Mushroom and Salmon Festival

Yangyang's main autumn event combines its two seasonal specialities: pine mushrooms (songi) from the hills and salmon returning up Namdaecheon. VisitKorea's listing gave the 2026 dates as 16 to 18 October, from 10:00 to 21:00 along Namdaecheon in Yangyang-eup, organised by the Yangyang-gun Cultural Foundation. Programmes include a pine mushroom treasure hunt in the forest and catching salmon by hand in the stream. Entry is free, though some programmes charge.

Festival weekends are the one time accommodation in the south of the county is not the issue — the centre of gravity moves to Yangyang-eup. Book early if your dates overlap and you want to stay near the river.