Gwakji Beach Jeju Review 2026: Snorkeling & Springs

I recently headed out to Gwakji Beach in Jeju for a quick snorkeling session and some fun in the ocean!

Since it was just before the official beach opening season,

the outdoor tables were already set up, and we were able to use them freely. What a win! haha.

But oh my goodness... the water was absolutely freezing! It felt like stepping straight into an ice bath.

The waves were surprisingly calm and perfect for swimming,

but because the water was so cold,

I couldn't stop screaming every time a wave hit me! It was a total shock to the system.

To make things trickier, it was getting closer to low tide,

and the water was rapidly receding...

Even when we waded pretty far out, the water barely reached our thighs.

But hey, at least my Funkita swimsuit looked amazing against the blue water!

I'm usually not a big fan of purple, so I hesitated before buying it, but the pattern was just too pretty to pass up.

We tried snorkeling in the shallow water,

but there wasn't much to see except sand.

Literally just sand! haha.

I spotted a few fish swimming around the basalt rocks further out,

but with the tide pulling back so fast, I decided to play it safe and stay close to the shore.

As time went on, the water receded further and further...

It literally looked like a shallow creek!

Oh no!

Note to self: avoid low tide at all costs if you actually want to swim!

I bet this whole sandy area is normally covered in deep, beautiful seawater during high tide...

While walking along the shore, we stumbled upon the famous Gwamul Open-Air Spring Bath.

Warning: there were quite a few sea roaches scurrying around the rocks! haha.

The baths are divided into men's and women's sections,

and they only operate during the official beach season.

The operating hours are from 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM!

Knowing Jeju's natural spring water, I bet this water is incredibly icy and refreshing!

Doing a bit more exploring,

it looks like you can swim on both the left and right sides of the central fountain!

This is the beach area to the left of the clock tower.

There was quite a bit of seaweed here,

and we saw locals climbing over the basalt rocks searching for crabs and small marine life.

We aren't expert foragers, so we just watched from afar! haha.

The water is amazingly crystal clear,

though the floating seaweed was a bit of a nuisance.

Saw some local kids splashing around—stay healthy and have fun, kiddos!

There's a public shower facility near the main control center.

The fees are about ~$2 for adults, ~$1 for youth, and ~$1 for children.

Just a heads-up: it's highly likely to be cold water only! haha.