Haeundae Beach in Busan, one of the most famous summer holiday destinations / Courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization

Summer in Korea is usually hot and humid from June to August.

Playing in the water may be the best way to cool off. Some people head to the beaches on vacation to swim or enjoy other water activities like surfing. Seoulites who aren’t able to drive out to a beach can still escape the scorching heat at places in the city offering lots of fun in the water.

Beaches

Swimming in the sea is one of the most sought-after summer vacation activities in Korea. Famous beaches line the East Coast and southeastern coastal areas. Jeju Island’s beaches boast crystal clear waters, while mudflats spread out along the West Coast of the Peninsula are ideal for observing a variety of mollusks during low tide.

Local governments set the official swimming season for their beaches, but visitors are welcome anytime of the year.

When the beaches are officially open for swimming, lifeguards are on duty and locally approved vendors provide colorful parasols and wooden benches for rent. Bathers hoping to avoid the rental fees can set up their own parasols in separate areas away from the merchants’ sections.

On Busan’s popular Haeundae Beach, thousands of parasols cover the sand. In fact, the 7,937 parasols dotting the beach during the summer of 2008 made it into the Guinness World Records.

Such a large number of parasols means a large number of visitors. Haeundae attracts up to 1 million visitors per day during the peak summer season, according to unofficial data.

Those seeking less crowded beaches are recommended to visit Gangwon-do Province on the East Coast. Gyeongpo, Sokcho, Maengbang, Mangsang and Naksan are a few of the dozens of beaches there.

Surfing has been gaining popularity recently, and Surfyy Beach in Yangyang, Gangwon-do, has become the mecca of Korean surfing. Its 1-km beach is exclusively for that sport, with beginner to advanced lessons available.

West Coast beaches are not as popular in the summer as those on the East Coast because the West Sea is a lot less clear. But the extensive mudflats are ideal for gathering crabs and other shellfish.

The annual Boryeong Mud Festival usually kicks off in mid-July on Daecheon Beach in Boryeong, Chungcheongnam-do Province and is the best example of making good use of the West Coast’s natural environment. Drawn by mud’s therapeutic effects, visitors can rejuvenate skin though mud baths or massages and relieve stress by wrestling in a large tub of mud or going down a mud slide.

Cooling off in Yeouido Mulbit Square’s wading pool and splash fountains along the Hangang River in central Seoul.

Urban water fun

Those who cannot head to provincial beaches during summer vacation can still cool off in Seoul’s water-themed public facilities.

The Metropolitan Government runs four swimming pools at parks along the Hangang River – Yeouido, Jamwon, Ttukseom and Gwangnaru – and two child-friendly, shallow pools in Nanji and Yanghwa parks.

These public facilities lack the slides and other features found in large commercial water parks like Caribbean Bay or Ocean World but are still popular with a large number of city residents who want to spend a day with their children at a very reasonable price.

Other facilities where people can cool off include the wading pool and splash fountains in Yeouido Mulbit Square.

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