In Search of Hidden Scenic Spots on the Pristine South Coast | Travel Course | Staypick

Darangi Village is located in Namhae-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do. The ancestors expanded their farmland by cutting into the mountain slopes, building stone retaining walls, and creating terraced rice paddies. The narrow and long paddies start from the sea and continue in steps, facing Eungbongsan and Seolheulsan, the most beloved hiking trails in Namhae. Although the irregularly shaped paddies appear random, there are pleasant walking trails and observatories between them for comfortable exploration. It takes about an hour to visit Darangi's landmarks such as Amsuba Rock, Babmudeom, Cloud Bridge, and Mongdol Beach.

Sangju Silver Sand Beach, with Geumsan's splendid scenery as a long folding screen, is a beach with a wide white sandy shore of silver fine sand surrounded by dense pine forests, preserving one of the few beautiful natural landscapes in the country. Located 21 km south of Namhae-eup, this place has sand with a pleasant barefoot touch, attracting up to one million visitors every summer. The 2 km crescent-shaped white sandy beach has a gentle slope and warm water temperature, making it an ideal summer retreat for families. Additionally, a Summer Festival is held in summer and a New Year's Sunrise Festival in winter. The area also features a traditional vegetable hot dog unique to this location, a popular Instagrammable cafe, and restaurants run by locals, offering abundant sights and activities.

The three-story building made of red bricks by the roadside is easily noticeable from afar, and Daejung Restaurant is located on the first floor of that building. It is a place you might stop by when heading to Sangju Beach within Hallyeohaesang National Park. Unlike large and fancy city restaurants, the cozy and modest interior gives a hometown feel that matches well with the owner's warm smile. When you boil and eat the spicy blowfish stew served with five or six neat side dishes, you'll quickly finish a bowl of rice with the rich seasoning and chewy taste of the blowfish. The braised monkfish and octopus hot pot are also recommended for their flavors.

Sangjokam County Park offers a panoramic view of the southern coast’s Hallyeohaesudo and is located where the vast rock formations and dramatic cliffs create beautiful natural scenery. On November 10, 1983, Goseong-gun designated this area as a county park to preserve Sangjokam, a natural monument, and the well-preserved dinosaur footprints from the Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic era. In front of the youth training center’s beach, worn pebbles are spread out, shaped and smoothed by the tides, and beyond the wide rock formation with dinosaur footprints, the cliff face appears as stratified steep cliffs. Deep within the cliff, a cave winds east to west, resembling a table leg, known as “Ssangjok,” and also called “Sangjok” or “Ssangbari,” meaning multiple legs. The caves of Sangjokam vary in height and width, containing strangely shaped rocks with many legends. It is said that ancient fairy maidens descended here to weave golden clothes to offer to the Jade Emperor in Ssangjok Cave, and nearby is Fairy Bath where they bathed. Even today, rock-shaped water beds and bath-shaped pools remain inside the cave. Around it are Candle Rock and Folding Screen Rock, adding to the scenic beauty, and tourist cruise ships pass through the water between Saryangdo in Tongyeong-si, creating spray. The view of Hallyeohaesudo before visitors is so beautiful that tourists come all year round. The area is renowned for its dinosaur footprint fossils, sparking wonder. Discovered in January-February 1982 by Professors Yang Seungyoung of Kyungpook National University and Kim Hangmuk of Pusan National University during a coastal fossil survey from Gwangyang, Jeonnam, it is considered one of the world's top three dinosaur fossil sites, alongside Brazil and Canada. These footprints were made by dinosaurs such as Brontosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Allosaurus, and Tyrannosaurus, well-known from the movie Jurassic Park.

Sangjokam County Park, located in Deokmyeong-ri and Wolheung-ri of Hai-myeon and Chunam-ri of Hail-myeon in Goseong-gun, offers a panoramic view of the Namhaean Hallyeohaesugdo. It features wide rocky beaches, sea caves, and spectacular cliffs forming valleys. The site is named after the rocks shaped like table legs, referred to as Sangjok (床足) or Ssangbal. In 1982, numerous dinosaur footprints from the Mesozoic Cretaceous era were discovered near Sangjokam's coast. This fossil site is globally rare both in quantity and variety of dinosaur footprints, and large quantities of Mesozoic bird footprints have also been found, making it academically significant and designated as a county park for preservation. It is especially estimated that various dinosaurs, including bipedal and quadrupedal species, lived together here. Nearby attractions include the Goseong Dinosaur Museum, Sangjokam Auto Camping Ground, and the Cretaceous Dinosaur Theme Park, providing a diverse range of sights.