Introducing Daecheon Beach

This is the best beach on the west coast; it’s almost golden-coloured sand is kept cleaner than most. Although 3.5km long and up to 100m wide, the beach can still be crowded on summer weekends. The sea is shallow and calm, and in the evening everyone gathers on the beach to watch the sunset and let off fireworks.

Architecturally, Daecheon beach is the Las Vegas of Korea with amusement parks and row upon row of fancifully designed and named motels, some of which have luridly coloured plastic palm trees outside that light up at night. It’s purely a tourist town with noraebang, bars, nightclubs, billiard halls, cafés and countless raw fish and seafood restaurants, but no banks.

Daecheon harbour, 2km away, is packed with fishing boats and is the ferry terminal for visiting the relaxing offshore islands, where the only residents are fisher folk. For less commercialised beaches, take a ferry to Sapsido or on to Anmyeondo.

The tourist information centre (931 4022; 8am-8pm) is in the Mud House.