Jebudo Island

Jebudo lies about two and a half kilometres off the Hwaseong shore, and the road to it runs across the seabed: at low tide the causeway emerges and cars and walkers cross, and at high tide it goes under and the island is cut off, so opening hours are set by the tide table and published daily. Crossing while the water is coming in is how vehicles get stranded, and it happens every year despite the barriers and the sirens. The island itself is small - a fishing village, a few guesthouses and seafood restaurants, a beach of coarse sand and shingle, a walking trail round the shore and a lighthouse-style tower at the point. The reason to come is the crossing itself and the mudflats either side of it, which fill with birds on the west-coast migration route. Sunset from the causeway with the water returning is the standard photograph.

What's there

• The tidal causeway - the road across the seabed at low water.
• The mudflats - the exposed seabed and its birdlife.
• The fishing village - guesthouses and seafood on the island.
• The shore trail - the walk round the small coastline.

When to go

April to June and September to October. The tide table decides everything - check the published crossing window before you set out and leave well before it closes.

Good to know

Getting caught by the incoming tide strands vehicles every year; the barriers are not a formality. The beach is shingle rather than sand. The island is small - half a day covers it.

Nearby

Daebudo is north up the coast; Suwon and its fortress are inland.

Key facts