Yongmeori Coast in Sagye-ri, Jeju island

We reached the car park at the foot of Mount Sanbangsan slightly after 12.30pm on 2 May 2023 to prepare for our trekking of Yongmeori Coast.

To commence the trekking, we needed to walk for about half a kilometer downhill along a landscaped pathway which zigzags along the hill slope to reach the entrance gate. We were only allowed in after purchasing the entrance tickets.

Trekking route from the entrance gate at the west to
the finishing point.

The imposing Mount Sanbangsan.

Walking downhill along the landscaped footpath, caught sight
of the Buddha statute next to the Sanbang Grotto Temple.

Just before reaching the entrance.

Passed the entrance and toward the coast.

Mount Sanbangsan viewed from the coast.

Sale of live seafood to trekkers.

We stopped at numerous spots along the route to appreciate the geology of the rock formation.

Yongmeori is the oldest volcano in Jeju Island. It was created by hydrovolcanic eruptions that occurred in shallow water millions of years ago. Over the years, the solidified lava, tephra and pyroclastic flows were eroded by waves to form numerous irregular-shaped formation. 

The massive rock outcrop jutting out toward the sea is said to look like a dragon head. Because of this, it's called Yongmeori which stands for dragon (yong) and head (meori). However, no matter how hard I tried to visualize, I couldn't see any semblance of a dragon head!

Still, the rock formation is unique and one of the kind. Once in a while,  I did feel like in the midst of the ancient desert city of Petra in Jordon seen in documentary!

After trekking for an hour from the entrance gate,
we finally reached the Finishing Point.