Time of the visit:the 23rd of oct.,2025

The Getbol Suncheon Bay in South Korea is a UNESCO-listed wetland known for its vast tidal flats and rich biodiversity( lots of birds there as well as crabs). It is a vital sanctuary for migratory birds, offering visitors scenic trails, observation decks, and a glimpse into the region’s unique coastal ecosystem.

My expectations for this World Heritage Site were low. The wetlands sounded pretty boring. I took the bus from Busan in the morning and locked my luggage in the lockers at the Suncheon bus terminal. Google Maps is pretty useless in South Korea, with one exception: it shows the bus numbers and routes. Bus 66 is supposed to run fairly frequently, so I went to the nearby bus stop. Sure enough, bus 66 arrived at the stop about five minutes later.

About 20-25 minutes later, I was at the main entrance gate and was quite surprised by the number of tourists and the tourist infrastructure. I paid the 10,000 won entrance fee and went first to the museum, which also has an observation deck. First, I watched a short film about the area. Funnily enough, a man and his wife sat down next to me. In bad English, he pointed out to me that the fisherman in the film was his brother. As I was about to begin exploring the museum, an English-speaking volunteer approached me and offered to give me a tour of the museum. I accepted, but the insight I gained was minimal, as her English was too broken.

The museum observatory with its telescopes was nice, but gave only sparse information about the fantastic views I would later see. The volunteer wanted to accompany me to the Jongsan observation deck... I politely declined. Then I set off on the long and sometimes strenuous (uphill) walk there, about 25-35 minutes. At ground level, you walk on wooden bridges over reed fields, over a larger bridge (ships depart right next to the bridge, tide permitting) that crosses a large waterway, and over a suspension bridge that marks the beginning of the ascent to the Jongsan observation deck.

The path is good but strenuous, climbing steadily until you reach the top of the small hill. The vegetation is dense, and only at the upper level are there two small observation decks before you reach the Jongsan observation deck, which is without a doubt the absolute highlight of the Suncheon Bay Getbol.The view from the Jongsan observation deck is breathtaking, enchanting; you're captivated by the incredible beauty. You want to capture this wonderful view forever with photos; you can't tear yourself away from the scenery. I've rarely been so impressed by a spectacular view as I was there.Pure magic!The Jongsan observation deck consists of three levels. The top one, where you arrive from the ascent, offers an otherworldly view of the fabulous world before you. One level below are three high-end telescopes and benches, and the bottom one is relatively uninteresting, but the path to a side descent begins there... The path leads to some red reed fields. An elderly, educated Korean couple who live near the Tongdosa Temple—what a coincidence—approached and me and wanted to know where I was from. They had been to Suncheon Bay several times before.They suggested I go with them, which I did, but after about a five-minute descent, my injured toe, which I had hit against a rock a few days earlier in the Namsan Mountains near Gyeongju, started to hurt. Also, unlike them, I had to walk the whole way back up. I only recommend this descent and ascent to visitors who have the time, still have enough energy, and are physically fit. It was too time-consuming for me and too dangerous for my toe.All in all, I spent about 1-1.5 hours on the Jongsan observation deck. I could have seen the otherworldly sunset from there, but I decided against it, as I wanted to walk to the end of the Suncheon Reed Fields and to the beginning of the water bay.Probably a mistake, but the walk there through the reed fields was beautiful... along the waterway. A great heritage site. Very satisfied, I left the area and went to the bus stop.I took a photo of the departure times for bus 66 and spoke with some older Koreans who were waiting there. The departure times are based on the starting point of the bus route's end point, so you had to add 15 minutes. Very complicated... everything is in Korean... you need Google Lens and a translation app. Alas, the bus drove right in front of me. I had to wait 30 minutes for the next bus. Several taxis were there at that time. I decided against a taxi because there was a convenience store nearby and I wanted to buy a few things.

A great world heritage site easily reachable by the frequent bus 66 from Suncheon Bus Terminal or by taxi.