Muchangpo – Korea’s Best Hidden Beach
There are many beaches around Korea, and a lot of them are fantastic.
You’ve probably heard the names of many of the famous beaches before – Haeundae, Sokcho, Yangyang and Daecheon to name but a few.
Although I absolutely loved the beaches in Yangyang and Sokcho, there’s no denying that there are a few downsides.
However, these all have the problem of being very popular and, in the summer months, very crowded.
That’s where Muchangpo comes in. If you are looking for more quiet and peaceful beach to enjoy this summer in Korea, then this might be exactly the place you are looking for!
My girlfriend and I accidentally stumbled upon it when we were visiting the Boryeong Mud Festival. If you are attending the festival or just looking for a summer getaway, Muchangpo is the place to go!
When we visited, the weather was very overcast. Unfortunately, this didn’t make for the best photographs. However, I can promise that under better weather conditions, Muchangpo would be even better!
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Where Is Muchangpo Beach?
Muchangpo Beach is located on the west coast of Korea, about halfway down the peninsula.
The beach is located about three hours away from Seoul. As such, it is one of the easier to access beaches from Seoul.
Although there are some other west-coast beaches closer to Seoul, they aren’t as nice as those on the east and those located further to the south.
In my opinion, the only closer beaches that are very nice are those on the north-east such as Hajodae beach.
How to Get to Muchangpo Beach
Unfortunately, you can’t get to Muchangpo directly via bus. Luckily however, getting there isn’t very complicated either!
You can either take a bus to Boryeong, or (during the mud festival) to Daecheon beach. From either of these locations, you can then take a taxi to Muchangpo.
The taxi ride from either Boryeong or Daecheon takes around 20 minutes and you can expect the taxi ride to cost around 25,000KRW.
This means that the total trip takes around 3 hours from Seoul to Muchangpo. You can expect the bus ride to cost about 30,000KRW per person, and the taxi ride 25,000KRW (one payment, up to 4 people in the taxi).
Where Can I Stay at Muchangpo?
Muchangpo is a small town with a few accommodation options. Don’t expect five star accommodation, but you can most definitely find some nice places.
The bad news is that you won’t be able to find most of the options online. Small motels and hotels in Korea tend to have no presence on international sites (booking.com, agoda, hotels.com etc).
This isn’t limited to Muchangpo, but is the case for small accommodation venues all over the country.
If you want to get your accommodation sorted beforehand, there are a few hotels located within 20 minutes (mostly in Boryeong or Daecheon which are close by).
If you are a bit more adventurous, you can take a taxi to Muchangpo and then find accommodation once you are there. We saw three motels and there are surely more that we didn’t see.
The two that we found cost about 40,000KRW per night and were quite nice. The one we stayed in had karaoke in the basement as well as a cafe. It was rather nice!
We stayed during the Boryeong Mud Festival which is one of the busiest times of the year. However, even at this time, there were a few spare rooms.
If you want to have your accommodation sorted out beforehand though, you will be limited to staying a short drive away.
Accommodation in Muchangpo from 30,000KRW
When Should I Visit Muchangpo?
Muchangpo can be visited at any time during the year. However, as with any beach, it is best enjoyed in the warmer months.
I would recommend the best time as May-September due to the weather being much better and being warm enough to swim.
During July the Boryeong Mud Festival takes place in the neighbouring city. For many people, this will be the best time of the year to stay as they are already in the area.
If this is the case, I highly recommend Muchangpo. Despite being further away, the accommodation is not only far cheaper, but the area is also far less busy.
We stayed at Muchangpo because the accommodation was affordable – compared to Boryeong we paid about $150 less (accommodation becomes VERY expensive in the area during the festival).
However, we were actually extremely happy that we stayed further away. Not only was it far more calm and quiet, but we found that the area is also a hidden gem.
What Is Muchangpo Like?
With all of that being said, what is Muchangpo actually like?
The town itself is quite small and is very friendly for the most part. We had some very good experiences with the locals but we also had one very hostile taxi driver.
On the flip side of that, a local convenience store worker offered to drive us to the bus stop after he saw our difficulties with the taxi driver. Although we didn’t accept, we had a few very nice interactions like that.
Small towns in Korea are generally very friendly and Muchangpo is the same. The vast majority of the locals are kind and welcoming.
Being a coastal town, the beach can be accessed within 5 minutes from nearly any point in the town.
The beach itself is quite rocky in some areas, but there are also sandy areas that are much better for swimming. Expect to find a lot of locals in the rockpools looking for seafood to cook!
There is even a small island located close to the township which can be accessed via a short walkway. This is a great area for pictures!
At night time, the beach stays alive. While we stayed there were tons of fireworks being let off after dark and there were many families out enjoying the night air.
Within the town you can find some cafes with beautiful views and some different restaurants. Despite being small, you can find everything from chicken and barbecue to seafood.
Muchangpo is not the best beach for swimming. Although it is possible as there are sandy parts. The beach is also very calm due to the islands, and this makes it great for families.
Muchangpo – a Hidden Gem
Although we accidentally stumbled upon Muchangpo due to the overly expensive hotels around Boryeong, we had a fantastic time and were more than happy to have stayed there instead.
Muchangpo is off the radar for most tourists in Korea and for this reason it’s much less tourist focused. At the same time, this means that it is a great place for anyone who wants a more local experience.
If you are looking for a great beach location in Korea this summer then make sure to check out Muchangpo!
Although we stayed for two days, I think that any visit from one to three days is good. Any longer and you might get a bit bored, while any shorter and you don’t get a chance to fully enjoy the area.