Marado Island

Marado lies about eight kilometres off Jeju's southern coast and is the southernmost inhabited land in South Korea, which is essentially its entire claim - a flat green plate less than a square kilometre in area, treeless because of the wind, with a hundred-odd residents, a lighthouse, a small church, a school and a marker stone at the southern tip. The island has been Natural Monument No. 423 since 2000 for its subtropical marine life, and it was settled only from the 1880s. A path circles the whole island in about an hour, along low cliffs with the sea on all sides. The local speciality is jjajangmyeon, black bean noodles, sold by a row of restaurants that all claim to be the original southernmost one, which is a piece of tourism folklore rather than cuisine. Ferries run from Moseulpo and the Songaksan pier and the return time is fixed when you buy the ticket, usually giving ninety minutes to two hours ashore - long enough for the circuit and lunch. Crossings are cancelled in wind, frequently.

The landscape

• The island circuit - the hour's walk round the cliffs.
• The southernmost marker - the stone at the tip.
• The lighthouse and church - the few buildings on the plate.
• The noodle restaurants - the jjajangmyeon row.

When to go

April to June and September to October. Crossings cancel in wind at short notice, so keep the day flexible and check before travelling to the pier.

Good to know

Time ashore is fixed by your return ticket - usually under two hours. The island is small, flat and treeless, with no shade. The famous noodles are ordinary; the point is being there.

Nearby

Songaksan and Sanbangsan are on the Jeju coast; Gapado, the other islet, is on the same route.

Key facts