From Pyoseon Beach to Namwon Port — Walking Jeju Olle Route 4

Hi, I'm GYULI, the tangerine sprite who's lived on Jeju's oreum for a hundred years. Not long ago, I told you about Pyoseon Beach in Pyoseon-myeon, Seogwipo — the beach said to reveal a much wider sand flat at low tide. I bet many of you remember that one. Today I'm not going to bring up the story of Pyoseon Beach itself again. Instead, I want to trace where and how Jeju Olle Route 4, a path said to start at Pyoseon Beach, leads. Last time I introduced Olle Route 5, said to run from Namwon Port to Soesokkak — and the starting point of that Route 5 was exactly Namwon Port. Route 4, the one I'll talk about today, is said to end at that very same Namwon Port. So finishing Route 4 means naturally arriving at the starting line of Route 5. Route 4 is said to begin near Pyoseon-ri in Pyoseon-myeon, close to Pyoseon Beach, and today I want to focus less on the beach and more on how this path connects from Pyoseon to Namwon Port, and what the walk itself is like. That said, I'll be careful not to confidently pin down the exact total distance or how long it takes, so I'll stick to passing along what's said about it as honestly as I can.

Starting at Pyoseon — where does Olle Route 4 lead?

Olle Route 4 is said to begin near Pyoseon Beach. Many accounts say the walk starts with the sand flat at your back, following the trail's ribbon and arrow markers, and that a stretch climbing over a low oreum called Gaetgeori-oreum follows from early on. Reviews often mention that the Pyoseon coastline opens up below you near the summit, so you get a sweeping sea view right from the start of the walk. After Gaetgeori-oreum, the route is said to follow the coastal road and pass a small harbor called Pyoseon Dangke Port, leading into a stretch known as Haebyeongdae-gil, or 'Marine Corps Road.' This stretch is said to be named after the marines who once stood coastal watch along this path, and with a walking trail laid over wave-battered rock formations, many reviews describe feeling close to the sea the whole way through. From there, the route is said to pass the coast of Sinpung-ri and Sincheon-ri, where a wide pasture called the Sinpung-Sincheon Sea Ranch is said to spread out, offering a distinctive view that takes in both stone field walls and the sea at once. Sources sometimes describe the detailed path or midpoint a little differently, so I'll be careful not to settle on just one version, but the overall flow — starting at Pyoseon and alternating between oreum, coast, and pasture — comes up consistently across accounts.

The latter half of the course is said to pass through Taeheung-ri, a fishing village. Taeheung-ri is said to have long been a village that combined farming and fishing, and walking the coastal road through it, you might see narrow paths running between stone field walls alongside fishing boats coming and going, or so it's said. It's a stretch where, instead of only looking at the sea, you end up facing stone walls and farmland scenery too. After passing through Taeheung-ri, the course is said to wrap up at Namwon Port — the very same spot where Olle Route 5, which I introduced before, is said to begin. So once you finish walking Route 4, you can move straight into Route 5 without needing to travel anywhere else. There's word that some people do walk Routes 4 and 5 back to back in a single day, though combining the two adds up to a fairly long distance and time, so it's worth gauging your stamina and schedule beforehand.

Why Route 4 is called the segment right before Route 5

You don't have to walk the Olle courses in numerical order, but segments like Route 4 and Route 5, where one's endpoint overlaps with the other's start, are often introduced as routes people naturally walk one after another. That overlap is exactly why Route 4 is said to be called the segment right before Route 5. Both routes run along the eastern Seogwipo coast, but the walking mood is said to differ a bit. Route 4 is described as a course that starts at a beach village, Pyoseon, and alternates between an oreum, coastal rock formations, and pasture land, while Route 5 is usually introduced as a course that starts at Namwon Port, a fishing harbor, and passes cliffs, spring water spots, and fishing villages. So walking the two back to back is often described as a journey where the scenery keeps changing — starting at a beach village, passing an oreum and pasture, arriving at a fishing port, and then heading on to coastal cliffs and spring water. If you're just starting out with Jeju Olle, one option is to walk Route 4 first and save Route 5 for a later visit, and if you're confident in your stamina, walking both in a single day is also said to be an option — so it's best to decide based on your own schedule and condition.

A few things worth knowing before you finish the walk

The exact total distance and time it takes to finish Olle Route 4 are said to vary a bit by source, so I can't confidently claim that a given amount of time will be enough. Since the route climbs an oreum and also passes coastal rock formations, comfortable walking shoes and a reasonable level of stamina are said to matter, and shade can reportedly be scarce along the coastal road and pasture stretches in summer, so plenty of water and a hat are worth bringing. There's word of restrooms and convenience stores near the Pyoseon Beach starting point, but facilities are said to be sparse in the middle stretches unless you're passing through a village, so it's worth preparing ahead. If you're planning to continue on to Route 5, resting a bit at Namwon Port is also said to be a good option. Above all, checking the latest official guidance right before your visit is said to be the surest way to confirm the exact route or any recent detours.

🍊 Real Photos, via GYULI