Busan | White Sand Beach Cultural Village is getting more popular
Yang yu lun
a year ago
The first time I learned about this cultural village was through 'Infinite Challenge - Busan Wanted Special'. This episode aired in 2015, which was a long time ago. At that time, this village didn't have as many coffee shops or hipster stores as it does now, and it was most famous for being the filming location of the movie 'The Attorney'. The excellent location and sea view have gradually transformed it into the trendiest tourist spot for young people, and it's always crowded on holidays. Here, you can easily find a coffee shop to relax and stare at the sea, which is really comfortable.
I usually schedule the trip to Baekseongtan Culture Village after Gamcheon Culture Village, as the timing is more suitable. Lunch will be in Songdo (assuming we are not taking the Songdo Cable Car). Basically, I use a taxi for transportation, and you can use T-MONEY or a regular credit card, which is very convenient and time-saving. The price is reasonable, and I highly recommend using a taxi to get around when traveling in Busan.
Arriving at Baeksaetan Culture Village can be arranged personally, usually by taking a bus or taxi to the Rainbow Stairs, then walking down from the highest point back to the bottom of the hill. Baeksaetan is located on Yeongdo Island, not far from Nampo-dong, just a bridge away. After visiting, you can choose to walk very slowly across or take a taxi again. Overall, it is recommended to allocate 1-3 hours for sightseeing at Baeksaetan Culture Village.
On my recent trips to White Sand Beach, my travel companion and I didn't walk the Rainbow Stairs. Once it was too far to walk over, and another time it was under renovation. I hope to have the chance to check it out next time. But besides the famous Rainbow Stairs, I highly recommend taking a short walk along the coastline trail and then heading up into the village. There are many stairs that lead up, so I usually start by walking the trail closest to the sea, enjoying the sea breeze, and then randomly finding stairs to walk into the village. The trails here are very easy to walk, and there are many photo spots. Looking at the sea level is really healing.
Another small SPOT is at the trailhead. When I visited last year, I accidentally got off at the trailhead from the coast trail, and I recommend starting from here. There are also clean public restrooms available. The main point is that if you follow the path from here, there are places where you can go down and touch the rocks, getting closer to the sea. There are a lot of Koreans taking photos and stacking stones here. It's a place with relatively few tourists, so I recommend checking it out.
When you enter the village, there will be many coffee shops and stores selling trendy items. The more famous ones are the cute ice cream shop and the ramen shop. Unfortunately, because of the crowds and the cold weather, we didn't try them. However, any coffee shop you randomly enter is pretty good. The most important thing when looking for a coffee shop here is the view. So, if you find a shop with a good view, I think you can go in, order a cup of coffee, and have a nice rest outside.
Similarly to Gamcheon-dong, Baekcheon Beach also has many cats. You can occasionally see villagers placing cat food on the edge of the stairs for the passing kittens to eat. When you visit this area, please be mindful of your steps and avoid disturbing the local furry residents.
I personally wouldn't recommend the White Beach Culture Village as a must-visit place. Because I think the main thing to see here is the scenery. The coffee in South Korea is generally good (specifically referring to Americanos and lattes). When you come to this culture village, it's best to slow down, walk slowly through the alleys, and feel the atmosphere here. There are many small shops worth visiting, and you might find some pleasant surprises.
Finally, it is still recommended to visit Baishatan Cultural Village on weekdays if possible, as the number of people on weekends can be overwhelming.
(If you have enough energy, I really recommend walking this route from White Beach to Nampho-dong!)
