Songak san Peak in Jeju

Among the numerous volcanoes, craters and mountains that dot the landscape of Jeju Island, one that is definitely worth a visit is the Mt. Songaksan or Songak-san Peak.

At the southernmost tip of Jeju Island, numerous small peaks connect with each other to form something of a small mountain range. Songak-san which literally means "pine tree peak" forms such a series of cliffs. The Peak gives a panoramic view of the south, as well as the rest of the island. This destination is something that is intrinsically a part of Jeju Island, and if one were to chose an area that summarizes all of Jeju’s tourist attractions(if at all one could so) then this place would be it. All that symbolizes Jeju: like the imposing Halla Mountain, the quaint Sanbang Mountain, its regal cliffs rising from the sea, horses grazing through fields of grass, and several small islands off the coast, including Mara-do, Korea's most southern piece of real estate can be seen from this vantage point.

Almost at sea-level there are 15 small, artificial caves on the sides of these cliffs. When Korea was occupied by Japan within 1910-1945, Japanese soldiers ordered these caves made for the storage of supplies and weapons during World War II. Altogether, Jeju has about 100 of these caves, and they serve as a reminder of Korea's troubled history.

The Songak-san Peak can be found if one drives along the seaside road of Jeju-do. Though not as enormous as Mt. Hallasan or as beautiful as Mt. Sanbangsan, the view from the peak of the Mt. Songaksan is one of the best ever. Many other peaks of various sizes surround Mt. Songaksan. A 500m wide and 80m deep crater with a lot of black and red volcanic ash can also be seen near the peak. The beach under Mt. Songaksan is a popular place for fishing. One may catch a black porgy, whitebait sea stream and Dageumba-ri here. There are also many restaurants specializing in sliced raw fish on the beach.