Busan Activities: Beaches and hot springs

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Busan is above all famous for its seven beaches and three hot springs.

• Haeundae Beach (해운대), near subway/KNR Haeundae. One of the most popular summer destinations in South Korea. Haeundae attracts tourists from all around the country, and gets overcrowded in late July and early August. There are numerous hotels nearby. The Busan Aquarium--South Korea's largest at 13,000 sq m--is beside the beach (₩16000 for adults). Besides the beach, there are some excellent restaurants, both Korean and non, in the area, and a wide variety of shops, although many are hidden away. Explore the streets behind the beachfront boulevard. Many showings and events for the Pusan International Film Festival (Pusan, not Busan) are in this area which typically runs the first 10 days in Oct. Haeundae Tourist Info. Center is a good place to get a lot of info. about the area. If you're interested in sailing www.busansailing.com, Haeundae has the biggest leisure marina in Korea located about 10 min from the beach walking in the direction of Chosun Beach Hotel.

• Hur Shim Chung Spa (허심청 Heosimcheong), subway Oncheonjang (exit 1, cross the street and make a beeline for Hotel Nong Shim; it's connected by a walkway), www.hotelnongshim.com/eng/hurshimchung/hur_intro.asp. This massive hot spring complex claims to be the largest in Asia: Noboribetsu might disagree, but it certainly is huge, with hot, tepid, cold and strawberry milk-filled baths, saunas, pools, and an outdoor section. On the 3rd floor is a large jjimjilbang resting area, containing (among other things) a restaurant, a beauty salon, an oxygen room, and three 'igloos' heated to 81°C, 51°C and 0°C. You'll get a key when you come in, use it to open your shoe and clothes lockers and pay for any purchases inside. Men's and women's spas are segregated but the resting area is shared, so pick up a robe before you head downstairs. There's also some signage in English to guide you around. Entry to the spa is ₩8000, plus ₩1000 for the jjimjilbang on Sunday/holidays only. You can stay as long as you want, but it gets quite crowded and noisy on weekends.

• Gwangalli Beach (광안리 Gwangalli), near subway Geumnyeonsan (exit 1). Best experienced at night when the massive Gwangan Grand Bridge behind it is illuminated. Overall, similar to Haeundae but smaller and less upscale. Nevertheless, some interesting restaurants, bars and shops in the area. Also, you should try visiting one of the the tall, newly built hotels on the beach. They have really nice Sauna and Jjim Jil Bangs overlooking the bridge. ₩8000.

• www.busansailing.com
• www.hotelnongshim.com/eng/hurshimchung/hur_intro.asp