Some island days go exactly as planned, and some teach you lessons. Our Yeonhwado Island trip from Tongyeong was firmly the second kind: heavy rain, a canceled ferry to Somaemuldo, and a last-minute pivot to Yeonhwado, the filming site of a Korean drama.
The ferry over
We rushed to the Tongyeong passenger terminal hoping for the best. Somaemuldo was out, but boats to closer islands were still running, so we bought tickets for Yeonhwado.
The ferry passes Yeonhwado Island on its way to Yokjido. Inside, some sections feel like small rooms and others like regular seating; we chose the room-style area.
Rain had eased but the sky stayed gray, and after an hour of rocking waves we reached the island.
Yeonhwasa temple
Our plan was to walk to the suspension bridge. In hindsight, the shuttle van would have been wiser. The walk turned into a proper mountain trek, and at one point we were sure we were lost on a cliff path.
Yeonhwasa itself was easy enough to find and close to the landing. After photos there, the real mission began: finding the suspension bridge.
The suspension bridge
We found it at last. The bridge sways over the water with a view back toward the Yeonhwado dock, and it sways for real: too wobbly for us to cross, so we admired it from the end and turned back.
Soaked and exhausted, we looked like drowned mice and gave up on lingering. The lesson was simple and worth remembering: never enter an island in the rain. We slept like logs on the ferry home.
Prices, hours and details in this post are from our visit in August 2016 and may have changed, so check the latest information before you go.