Wando is South Korea's southernmost mainland county seat, a cluster of Wando Island and dozens of smaller islands scattered across the Dadohaehaesang (South Sea) archipelago.
History
In 828, King Heungdeok of Silla gave the naval commander Jang Bogo an army of 10,000 men to build the Cheonghaejin garrison on what is now Wando Island. From there Jang Bogo controlled maritime trade across the Yellow Sea between Silla, Tang China, and Heian Japan, effectively becoming the region's dominant merchant-admiral until his assassination in 846. The site of his fortress is now marked by a memorial hall built in 2008.
Centuries later, the poet Yun Seon-do retreated to Bogildo, an island within the county, where he built the Buyongdong Garden and wrote some of his best-known verse — the estate is still open to visitors today.
Highlights
- Wando Tower, a 132-meter tower with an observation deck at 76 meters, giving views across the island chain toward Wolchulsan and, on clear days, Jeju Island.
- Cheongsando Island, a short ferry ride from Wando, designated Asia's first "slow city" in 2007. Its gudeuljangnon terraced rice paddies are a protected agricultural landscape, and the island sits inside Dadohaehaesang National Park.
- Jangdo Cheonghaejin Historic Site, the excavated remains of Jang Bogo's ninth-century naval base and trading port, with a memorial hall telling his story.
- Bogildo Island's Buyongdong Garden, the retreat estate built by Joseon poet Yun Seon-do, reachable by ferry from Wando.
- Wando Arboretum, a coastal forest reserve with trails through warm-temperate evergreen woodland.
Food
Wando is Korea's biggest producer of gim (laver) and a major source of dasima (kelp) — Geumil-eup alone supplies around 70% of the country's kelp, and Nongshim buys about 15,000 tons a year for its Neoguri noodles. The county also ranks second nationally for abalone farming, and most local restaurants build their menus around it: raw abalone, grilled abalone, and jeonbok-juk (abalone porridge) are all specialties, alongside wakame and other seaweeds served as banchan.
Getting there
Buses run from Seoul's Central City Terminal to Wando, taking around 5 hours.
How long
A day trip covers Wando town and the tower, but Cheongsando or Bogildo are worth an overnight if you want to see the islands rather than just the mainland port.
More: Official Wando tourism guide.