I am on a mission to visit the beaches in this coastal city. Discovering what is available, the vibes and the general layout of each one. Today it is nice and sunny so let’s spend a fun day exploring Gwangalli Beach in Busan.
Getting There
The metro stop that will bring visitors closest to the beach is line #2 and getting off at Geumnyeonsan Station. I used Google maps here to give me help with transit, and this station consistently comes up in Korean only. The ride is 17 minutes long from the Seomyeon Station.
From the exit, you will be walking for approximately 10 minutes on a slight downhill street, straight to the beach.
Beach Sports
Gwangalli Beach is the busiest one I have been to for water sports. The entire right-hand side has a large beach club dedicated to paddle boarding and surfing with more boards than I have ever seen assembled in one place.
There is also a huge pool! right on the beach, yes, a non permanent pool that looks like it has been set up for water volleyball. 🏐⛱️ Under the tiki umbrellas, visitors can relax with toes in the sand and sun on their skin (hopefully a bevvie in their hand too 😋).
The Beach
Walking from this end to the other took me about 35 minutes, it’s a lot longer than it initially looks. The water is not that clear and the beach not that clean. There isn’t’ a large volume of garbage per say, but lots of small bits of plastic and debris that is washing ashore here.
The sand is a grey colour more than a golden tan, and a little more course that other beaches in the city. The day I went, towards the far end, there was a larger volume of seaweed both in the water and up on the beach. No unpleasant smell though, and it was not unsightly like the Mayan Riviera in Mexico can be.
I did not see a single person swimming here. Not sure why. There are numerous walkers, all locals and mostly the older generation.
View
This beach gets a lot of attention because of the view of the Gwangandaegyo bridge. It is pretty amazing, especially on a clear day without too much smog.
Flanked by large high-rises on both sides, the beach feels cozy, cocooned into the city.
Esplanade
Not the best one I’ve seen. There is very little shade along most of the stretch. At the farthest end is a beautiful flower garden that was closed the day I visited. I’m sure its being kept safe until those flowers are blooming and established. This year it is full of sunflowers!
Across from the esplanade, the street is lined with restaurants that have a very western, touristy and American feel. The vibe here is quite dated, I would say this beach may have seen its greatest popularity in the 1990’s?
The décor on the esplanade as well as the seating areas are older and showing wear, there is an area of construction and huge diggers are parked on the sand.
If you happen to be visiting Busan and would like to try a different beach, this one might come alive at night time. During the day it is my least favourite beach here, but at night, with all of these restaurants and bars, it might be a place that tourists want to relax and enjoy the setting sun.
