Olle trails are the system of hiking trails that circle all around Jeju Island. Whenever I talk to people who've hiked Jeju Olle trails, it's inevitable that Route #7 comes up in the conversation. I don't have any official statistics, but it seems to me that #7 is the most popular Olle trail in all of Jeju.
The trail starts at Oedolgae Rock. This sea stack is a must see for all tourists that come to Jeju. The parking lot is always packed with tour busses, and on this day, they were particularly full of students from a visiting high school from Daejeon. The cliffs around Oedolgae are stunning and the water nearby is fantastic for snorkeling in the summertime.
Some of the Olle trails really bring you to the countryside of Jeju. You can walk for hours without even seeing another person. On the other hand, Olle trail number seven is particularly crowded, so I found that one of the surprising pleasantries was the surprisingly large amount of vendors and food available on the way. I stopped for some amazing seafood fried rice along the way. It was great!
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The construction has begun on the controversial new naval base that you pass towards the end of the trail. Jeju has some conflicts with promoting its image as an eco-friendly and peace island and the current construction of a massive US naval base. The protests are on-going.
The picture below isn't a sign telling how far away famous cities are. Can you guess what it says?
In the end, Olle Route 7 was a fantastic walk and I met some wonderful people on the way. Most people just do the first half of it, but the die-hard people who are willing to finish it are well rewarded with a less crowded trail, wonderful views and a highly recommended experience.
hi dan,
ReplyDeletehow many hours do you take to finish the route no 7?
am coming to jeju on september this year. was thinking to try the olle route