Yeosu old town by day: Jinnamgwan to Jongpo

Short answer: walk the old town by day

The old town around Yi Sun-sin Square and Jongpo Marine Park is the heart of Yeosu, full of sights and local food, and good for walking. Jinnamgwan Hall, a National Treasure, and Goso-dong Mural Village are close by, and a seaside path runs from Yi Sun-sin Square to Jongpo Marine Park.

This post is a daytime walk through the old town's history. The 2-day plans with the sunset, the night sea, Odongdo, the cable car and Hyangiram are in separate posts below. The guide suggests 2 days or more, and Korea Tourism Organization also suggests a one-day course in the city centre.

• Morning: Jinnamgwan Hall (check it's open), then Goso-dong Mural Village
• Midday: Yi Sun-sin Square, about 1.5 km by the sea under Geobukseon Bridge, Jongpo Marine Park
• Lunch: seafood meals such as gejang baekban or seodae-hoe muchim in the old town
• Afternoon (full day): the maritime cable car to Dolsan Park, or the Yeosu Romantic Bus Yi Sun-sin course

• Yeosu travel guide →
• Yeosu night sea in 2 days: where and how? →
• Yeosu in 2 days: Gimpo flight or KTX? →

Morning: Jinnamgwan Hall, the naval command's guesthouse

Start at Jinnamgwan Hall, a National Treasure. It is a government guesthouse built in 1599 on the site of Jinhaeru, which Admiral Yi Sun-sin used as the headquarters of the Jeolla Left Naval Command. At 15 bays across and 5 deep, it is the largest surviving local government building of its kind.

Visits to Jinnamgwan Hall have been limited during repair works. Check official info before you go to see whether you can go inside. Even if you can't, the old-town walk carries on as planned.

Goso-dong Mural Village is close to Jinnamgwan. The guide's Day 2 plan also pairs Jinnamgwan Hall with Goso-dong Mural Village.

• Jinnamgwan Hall: National Treasure, the Jeolla Left Naval Command's guesthouse built in 1599
• Size: 15 bays across, 5 deep; the largest surviving local government building of its kind
• Whether you can visit: check official info before you go
• Goso-dong Mural Village: close to Jinnamgwan

Midday: about 1.5 km by the sea from Yi Sun-sin Square to Jongpo

From Jinnamgwan, walk to Yi Sun-sin Square, the centre of the old town. From the square you can see Janggundo island across the water. The area is full of sights and local food, so it is a good place for lunch too.

From the square, walk about 1.5 km along the sea under Geobukseon Bridge to Jongpo Marine Park. Hamel Lighthouse, the cable car, Dolsan Bridge and Geobukseon Bridge are all in view. Dolsan Bridge is a 450 m cable-stayed bridge completed in 1984.

The same path is also popular at sunset and at night. If you plan to come back for the night sea, focus on Jinnamgwan and the square by day and save the seaside path for the evening.

• Yi Sun-sin Square: the centre of the old town, with Janggundo in view
• Yi Sun-sin Square to Jongpo Marine Park: about 1.5 km by the sea under Geobukseon Bridge
• In view: Hamel Lighthouse, the cable car, Dolsan Bridge, Geobukseon Bridge
• Dolsan Bridge: completed in 1984, a 450 m cable-stayed bridge

A half-day plan and a full-day plan

For a half day, walk Jinnamgwan, Goso-dong Mural Village, Yi Sun-sin Square and Jongpo Marine Park in that order, and have lunch in the old town. Yeosu's seafood meals include gejang baekban, with seasoned and soy-marinated crab, and seodae-hoe muchim, raw sole tossed with makgeolli vinegar. Hairtail is mostly caught from July to November, so galchi jorim is a good choice then.

For a full day, add the maritime cable car in the afternoon. It crosses the sea on a 1.5 km line between Jasan Park (Haeya Platform) and Dolsan Park (Nora Platform), about 13 minutes one way. It runs 09:30–21:30 (last tickets 21:00), with no reservations: tickets are sold on the day only. From Dolsan Park you look down on Dolsan Bridge, Janggundo and the harbour. Check the way from Jongpo Marine Park to the Jasan Park platform on a map in advance.

If you would rather not walk it all, the 'Yeosu Romantic Bus' city tour has a Yi Sun-sin course. Check days, fares and booking on the Yeosu City tourism site.

• Half day: Jinnamgwan, Goso-dong Mural Village, Yi Sun-sin Square, Jongpo Marine Park, then lunch
• Lunch: gejang baekban, seodae-hoe muchim, galchi jorim (hairtail July–November)
• Cable car, standard cabin adults: KRW 17,000 round trip / 14,000 one way
• Crystal cabin adults: KRW 24,000 round trip / 19,000 one way (wheelchairs, strollers and suitcases restricted; no food or drinks)

Walking weather: Yeosu's monthly normals

The figures below are rounded 1991–2020 normals for Yeosu station from the Korea Meteorological Administration. They are 30-year averages, not this year's weather, so check the forecast before you go.

Normal highs are about 21–26°C in May–June and September–October. July is the wettest month at about 277 mm. October has a normal high of about 21°C, a low of about 15°C and about 67 mm of rain.

• January high 7°C, low 0°C, 25 mm / February 9°C, 1°C, 45 mm
• March 12°C, 5°C, 84 mm / April 17°C, 10°C, 125 mm
• May 22°C, 15°C, 144 mm / June 24°C, 19°C, 194 mm
• July 27°C, 23°C, 277 mm / August 29°C, 24°C, 265 mm
• September 26°C, 20°C, 152 mm / October 21°C, 15°C, 67 mm
• November 15°C, 8°C, 47 mm / December 9°C, 2°C, 26 mm

Budget and checklist before you go

The old town is a walking area, so transport costs are KRW 1,700 per city bus ride (KRW 1,600 by transit card) if you take one. Check routes and timetables at the Yeosu traffic information centre (its.yeosu.go.kr). The KTX takes about 3 hr to 3 hr 20 min from Seoul Station to Yeosu EXPO Station; check fares and seats with Korail.

The tourist interpretation helpline is 1330. Entry rules for Korea depend on your nationality, so check official Korean government information before you travel.

• Jinnamgwan Hall: check official info before you go to see whether it's open
• City buses: KRW 1,700 (KRW 1,600 by transit card); routes at its.yeosu.go.kr
• Cable car: on-the-day tickets only, last tickets 21:00
• Yeosu Romantic Bus Yi Sun-sin course: days, fares and booking on the Yeosu City tourism site
• Check the forecast before you go, and wear comfortable shoes for the walk

• Full Yeosu travel guide →
• Which month is best for Yeosu? By the climate normals →
• Yeosu's Hyangiram by bus, plus Geomundo by boat →

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