We decided camping on an island was too ambitious for our first outing of the season… settled on a beach thirty minutes away by subway… and still managed to get completely lost for an hour. This is that story.

well…almost the backyard. Deciding that a weekend getaway to an island was not practical, we opted for a closer approach for our first camping outing of the season. Songjeoung Beach (송정해수욕장), we had been told was a good spot only about 30 minutes by subway and a “short hike” away.

For the past few weeks we had slowly been gathering supplies in prep for the day so with our bags packed, food ready and Eunee in her travel house, we ventured out….

The brisk subway dropped us at the end of the Jangsan line (green line) at which point we began the hike to the beach. The directions we were following we from a post online and so minor details had been left out (deliberately or not…i’m not sure). Regardless, our hike led us through some residential spots and to the start of a footpath that would bob and weave through the shoreline until it supposedly dumped us out on the beach were we would find  nice empty space to set up camp. Well, nearly an hour later, 12 pounds lighter and quite a bit ranker smelling than a family of elephants would care to hang with….we doubted the legitimacy of our source. Alas, after making a minor misstep, we managed to find our way to the beach which minus the four hundred thousand other people was quite nice and a welcome site.  Puppy Parenting Lesson: Do not hike your lil doggy in a travel crate unless you know they are not prone to motion sickness…..Eunee we found out, was indeed…sick of the motion…eww.

Not sure where we would camp but not really caring, we immediately found a place to drop our gear and get in the water with the rest of the country.

As fate would have it, our spot was right near a few couples that included a couple guys from South Africa and their Korean wives who spoke perfect english Their kids, instantly fell in love with Eunee and kept her busy for a few hours while we chatted it up with the super friendly bunch. Certainly one of the perks in doing unplanned things in life are the unexpected people you meet along the way. It was great talking with them about travel, life, new places and being away from the “grind” that we all had common experiences with.

Once night began to fall we said farewell to our new friends. After smoothing it over with the local authorities (the lifeguard). We camped right where we were and fired up the grill for some much needed grub and vino. Different than Haeundae and Gwangalli, at Songjeoung you are free to pitch a tent anythere once the lifeguards leave which is roughly 6:30pm. To be polite you can ask like we did just incase you feel like you might be making a foreigner faux pas.

There was a concert happening no more than 200 yards away so between that and the roman candle fiesta occurring in every direction, the peaceful sounds of the ocean water we not quite as prevalent, but nonetheless we enjoyed our dinner and the sounds of the Korean shore life.

As things began to die down we started to settle in but not before one last hurrah in the form of a 4th of July like fireworks show that was literally right in front of our tent. About 10 minutes of dazzling lights and Eunee flipping $hit, it was finally done.

The next morning I woke at about 5:30am to a fairly amazing sunrise and a beach that recalled some of the same imagery as my college apartment after an all night rager. We did our breakfast and packed up our site in time for the beach squad to erect about 3 thousand umbrellas for the masses that would soon arrive. By 7:30am we were ready for the water again which is how we rounded out the trip for the next few hours. If you are interested in following the same route we took, here’s a rundown of the directions below. Have fun and Good Luck!

Busan Subway (Green Line 2) to Jansan Station, exit #1, Turn Right and go up the hill, Veer left and go up the bigger road and straight through the intersection at the school, keep walking through the apartment buildings, continue straight until you find some wooden stairs on the left hand side of the road. Follow this for 4k, When you get to a place where you need o decent down rock, go down and when you hit the train tracks, turn left and find a tunnel that goes under the tracks and follow that road down until you see the beach. Its a fun hike, really 😉

pitchin tents,

adam

Q: Can you camp on Songjeong Beach in Busan? A: Yes — and it is one of the best free camping experiences in the city. Once the lifeguards leave at approximately 6:30pm you are free to pitch a tent anywhere on the beach. It is polite to ask first especially as a foreigner which we did and the lifeguard was completely accommodating. Unlike Haeundae and Gwangalli which have stricter rules Songjeong is wonderfully relaxed about overnight camping.

Q: How do you get to Songjeong Beach from central Busan? A: Take the Busan Subway Green Line 2 to Jangsan Station and exit number one. Turn right and head up the hill… veer left up the bigger road… straight through the intersection at the school… through the apartment buildings… until you find wooden stairs on the left. Follow the coastal footpath for approximately four kilometers. When you reach a point where you need to descend rocks go down… when you hit the train tracks turn left… find the tunnel under the tracks and follow that road down to the beach. It is a fun hike. Genuinely. Allow more time than you think you need.

Q: Is Songjeong Beach good for a weekend trip from Busan city center? A: Absolutely — it has a completely different feel from the more famous Haeundae Beach. Less crowded more relaxed and with the freedom to camp overnight it makes for an excellent spontaneous weekend escape. The beach itself is beautiful and the coastal hiking path to reach it is genuinely rewarding once you survive the navigation.

Q: Can you bring your dog to Songjeong Beach in Busan? A: Yes — dogs are welcome on the beach especially in the evening once the crowds thin. One important lesson we learned the hard way… do not carry your small dog in a travel crate on a long hike unless you have confirmed they are not prone to motion sickness. Eunee was very much prone to motion sickness. Lesson learned permanently.

Q: What is there to do at Songjeong Beach overnight? A: More than you expect. We had South African expats and their Korean wives as impromptu neighbors who kept us brilliantly entertained. A live concert played two hundred yards away. Roman candles erupted in every direction throughout the evening. Then a full fireworks show launched directly in front of our tent for ten minutes which the humans loved and Eunee absolutely did not. Sunrise at 5:30am over an empty beach was the perfect ending.