Gukhwado is an island located 28 km southwest of Ujeong-eup, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, and you can reach it by taking a ferry from Gungpyeong Harbor (Seosin-myeon, Hwaseong-si), which takes about 40 minutes. Even walking both the coastal trail and the ridge forest trail on the small island, it's enough to spend about 3 hours leisurely.

 

Formerly known as Manhwado because the flowers bloomed late and withered, during the time when trees were used for cooking and heating, many wild chrysanthemums grew after the trees on Gukhwado were cut down. Looking from the mainland, it is called Gukhwado because it resembles the appearance of yellow wild chrysanthemums blooming in the sea.

 

When you look from Janggo Port or Waemok Village, Gukhwado and Rabbit Island appear side by side like siblings. About 500m away between Gukhwado and Rabbit Island, during low tide, rocks and sandy beaches are exposed, making it possible to walk across. The area around this coastal path is rich in various shellfish, including oysters.

 

In addition to the main island Gukhwado, there are also subsidiary islands such as Maebak Island to the north and Doji Island to the south, which are like brothers. These smaller islands are separate islands at high tide, but when the tide recedes, the seawater drains away, allowing you to walk across. It's like the "Miracle of Moses" happening here. Maebak Island (Rabbit Island), which exudes the rustic atmosphere of a fishing village, is abundant in shellfish such as clams, oysters, and oysters. Doji Island is made up of pebbles and shell fragments, forming a sandy beach, allowing you to catch shellfish, experience clam digging, catch flounder, and experience gill net fishing.

 

Gukhwado has a natural beach with a circular shape like a crescent moon, where shells and sand are harmoniously mixed. The beach has a gentle slope, allowing you to enjoy water activities safely, and the water is very clear, unlike other areas in the West Sea, as it is mixed with sand and small pebbles.

 

The west coast of the coast is steep, and there are sea cliffs and coastal erosion on the southwest side. The rock formations consist of granitic gneiss showing foliated structures, biotite gneiss, and limestone schists.

 

Especially on the west side of the island, there is a large pine forest covering the entire island, making it look like an uninhabited island from afar. Gukhwado has a clam experience site operated by the fishing village, where you can catch various seafood such as oysters and clams with your children. If traveling far is burdensome, let's take a trip to Gukhwado, which is close to Seoul and still holds undiscovered charm.

 

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