Daebudo Island

Daebudo stopped being an island in the 1990s, when the Sihwa tidal embankment linked it to the mainland by road, and it has been Seoul's nearest west-coast escape ever since. The west coast here has one of the largest tidal ranges in the world - several metres - so the character of the place changes through the day: at high water it is a coastline of small beaches and boats, and at low water the sea withdraws for hundreds of metres and leaves grey mudflat where families go out in boots with rakes to dig clams, which is the main activity and is organised by the village fishing cooperatives with set times and fees. Around the island are wineries using local grapes, a long coastal walking trail, seafood restaurants at Bangameori, and the Sihwa tidal power station on the wall. Jebudo, with its tidal causeway, is a short drive south.

The landscape

• The tidal flats - hundreds of metres of mud at low water.
• The clam digging - village-run sessions with rakes and boots.
• The sea wall road - the embankment linking the island.
• The seafood villages - Bangameori and the harbour restaurants.

When to go

April to June and September to October. Everything depends on the tide table - check it before setting out, since clam digging only happens on the ebb.

Good to know

Mudflats are deep, sticky and easy to get stuck in - go with a village session rather than alone, and heed the returning tide. The island is developed rather than wild. Weekend traffic on the sea road is heavy.

Nearby

Jebudo and its causeway are south; Incheon and Muuido are north up the coast.

Key facts