Top 3 Haenam Travel Destinations, Refreshing Early Summer Coolness to the Heart

Forest Arboretum Hydrangea Garden (Photo by Haenam-gun)

[Haenam＝Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun] June in Haenam is filled with the freshness of early summer. If crowded tourist spots feel overwhelming after COVID-19, try healing your body and mind in the leisurely nature of Ttangkkeut Haenam. The cool breeze blowing under the deepening green tree shade refreshes even the stuffy heart.

According to Haenam County on the 3rd, 4est Arboretum, a hidden gem deep in Bongdong Valley, Hyeonsan-myeon, has begun to be dyed with luscious hydrangea flowers.

4est Arboretum was created over about five years by the couple Kim Geon-young, who majored in botany, and it is planted with about 1,400 species of various plants along a 60,000-pyeong forest. Themed on the meeting of humanities and arboretum, small gardens containing philosophical utopias of the East and West are diversely arranged.

Especially from June, the early summer season, the 8,000-pyeong hydrangea garden is in full bloom, filling the entire arboretum with a pastel-colored exotic landscape as if entering a fairy tale land.

The well-maintained hydrangea garden harmonizing with the arboretum’s plants has become famous as a great photo spot, attracting visitors from all over the country.

It is also enjoyable to admire over 200 varieties of hydrangeas, including rare hydrangeas collected by Kim Geon-young from all over the country. This year’s hydrangea garden operation period is from the 5th of this month to July 18th, and it is expected to be in full bloom around mid-June.

Duryunsan Jangchun Valley, Haenam (Photo by Haenam-gun)

Jangchun Valley is a valley located in Duryunsan, Haenam’s famous mountain, flowing along the 4 km-long Jangchun Forest Trail from the entrance of Daeheungsa Temple to Iljumun Gate. It is called Jangchun because it is always green with many trees and flowers bloom, making it feel like spring all year round, boasting outstanding scenery where subtropical forests and valleys harmonize.

Gugokyusu (Nine Bends and Flowing Water), considered the first of the eight scenic spots of Daeheung (Daeheungpal-gyeong) that praise the beautiful scenery of Duryunsan, refers to the valley water flowing through nine valleys and nine bridges (Gugokgukgyo) between camellia trees that bloom all year round and dense forests.

Inside the forest trail, a walking path is formed where clusters of cedar, arborvitae, and camellia trees create a forest bath experience, and wooden bridges over the valley add to the beautiful scenery.

Walking along the forest trail formed by various plants creating a primeval forest, UNESCO World Heritage Daeheungsa Temple welcomes visitors at the end of the path. You can also encounter relics with various legends such as National Treasure No. 308 Buk Mireukam Rock-carved Seated Buddha, Millennium Tree, Iljiam Hermitage, and Nam Mireukam Hermitage.

Dalma Trail Forest Path in Haenam (Photo by Haenam-gun)

Dalma-godo is a 17.74 km-long circular trail created on Dalmasan Mountain, where the beautiful temple Mihwangsa is located in Ttangkkeut Village. To avoid damaging nature, every stone was carried by hand without using machines, resulting in a representative walking travel route in the southern region where ecology and historical culture live.

Since its opening in November 2017, more than 180,000 domestic walkers have visited, and it is compared to the Santiago Trail of Korea, emerging as a must-visit trekking course among walking travelers nationwide.

The Dalma-godo walking trail features endless rocky ridges resembling a dinosaur’s backbone, with a panoramic view of the open Dadohae Archipelago ahead. It takes about six hours to complete, but the ever-changing surrounding scenery and hidden stories keep walkers from getting bored.

Mihwangsa Temple, a beautiful temple in Ttangkkeut Village located below Dalmasan Mountain, and Dosolam Hermitage at the middle of Dalma-godo trail resemble the mysterious atmosphere of Dalma-godo itself.

Haenam County also guides visitors through the Dalma-godo 365 walking program. From May to June, walking events for beginners and solo walkers are held with trekking guides accompanying them, allowing ‘Honsanjok’ (solo walkers) who hesitated to travel alone and ‘Sanrini’ (mountain beginners) who are new to hiking to enjoy their trips safely.

On the 12th, the ‘Dalma-godo Manyang Walk’ (7 hours) covering the entire Dalma-godo course and on the 26th, the ‘Ttangkkeut Millennium Forest Old Road Exploration’ (7 hours) to Ttangkkeut Tower, the most popular courses within Dalma-godo, are scheduled.

To participate in the events, you can apply in advance through the KakaoTalk channel (365 Days Dalma-godo Walking Day) or the county tourism department. Anyone nationwide can participate, and the participation fee is free.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.