Dongbaek Island

At the eastern end of Haeundae Beach sits a small pine-and-camellia-covered hill called Dongbaek Island — though calling it an "island" is a bit of a technicality now.

Over centuries, waves carried enough sand to permanently connect it to the mainland, forming what geographers call a tombolo. The landscape changed, but the name never did.

Walking the coastal path around it, you'll pass "Haeundae" calligraphy said to be carved by Silla-era scholar Choi Chi-won, a mermaid statue tied to the legend of Princess Hwangok, and Nurimaru APEC House, the round-roofed venue that hosted the 2005 APEC summit dinner. The view of Haeundae's coastline from Nurimaru is one of the best on the island.

Most of the path runs along shadeless coastal cliffs, though, so midsummer afternoons get hot fast, and the areas around the mermaid statue and APEC House can get crowded with tour groups between roughly 10am and 2pm.

True to the island's name, camellias (dongbaek) bloom from December through April — and unlike most flowers, they don't shed petal by petal. Whole blossoms drop at once, carpeting the path in red, which is a sight worth catching in season.

Open anytime, free, no closed days. It's about a 15-minute walk from Haeundae Station (Line 2) toward the beach.