Odongdo- The Heart of Yeosu


I like going to places less traveled. Although I do visit touristy places most of the time, I always see to it to go to places where most locals go. Take for example the Odongdo Island located in Yeosu. The city of Yeosu in itself is not where usually tourists go when in South Korea. It is not a famous city until the Yeosu Expo happened around 4 years ago. While there are touristy places in Yeosu, most of its visitors are just locals coming from other parts of the city. Only few tourists go to Yeosu because it's so far and not a lot of people know about it.



When in Yeosu, one of the places you should not dare miss to visit is the Odongdo. For me, if Yeosu has a heart, it should be Odongdo because of its ecological contribution to the city and at the same time the role it's playing in the tourism of Yeosu. Odongdo is an island and it's quite far off the coast of Yeosu. However, there's a breakwater installed from Yeosu port up to Odongdo Island, so it's less hassle to go there. Odongdo is a perfect spot if you want to go forest bathing. It's an island with a lot of wild flowers, trees and grasses. Perfect place to visit if you want to relax and commune with nature.



I think one of the most interesting part of the island is this landmark they call "Dragon Cave". According to the legend, a dragon lived in this cave. The dragon use this cave as a passage to come out and eat raindrops when it is raining. The dragon cave is such an interesting view, plus it is facing the vast ocean. They believe that the dragon causes big waves to the ocean.


Since Yeosu is a port city, the ocean is a common view in this island. When you are in Odongdo, it's a perfect spot because you are viewing the ocean in the middle of the forest. There are also other amusements in the area like the dancing fountain where the water dances along with the music and light. They have schedule for the dancing fountain, so it is good if you can get the right timing.



I went to Odongdo in the late afternoon, so I was able to catch the sunset right behind the city of Yeosu. It was such a beautiful sight to look at. The elements of the sunset over the port city and its reflection in the ocean water, it feels like paradise.



Odongdo is surely a place you shoud choose for a brisk walk, the fresh air and the beautiful view are so romantic you could even hold hands with your lover while walking. Odongdo is very near Yeosu. You can actually take a taxi from the center of the city, it would take around 5 minutes to travel from Yeosu Expo up to the entrance of Odongdo. You can actually walk if you want to, but to save time and energy, you can take either the bus or a taxi.


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