Yeosu

Yeosu is fairly spread out with many districts each segregated by mountains or ocean. The main CBD centered around Jungang-dong and the harbor overlooking Dolsan Bridge is quite compact, however.

West of the harbor and through a mountain tunnel is Yeoseo-dong, a roughly circular neighborhood nestled in between mountains with a small downtown district in the center. A great deal further west lies Ssangbong-dong, home to Yeosu City Hall, a second smaller port and a bunch of fancy tourist hotels.

South of the harbor and across Dolsan Bridge are the many islands and islets that make up the Yeosu chain. Most of the larger ones are connected in a rough circle by a road well covered by public transportation. The vast majority of tourist attractions lie on this ring road.

East of the harbor and tucked on another little stretch of coastline is the site for the Yeosu 2012 World Expo. Yeosu's Korail train station is located here.

To finish off the compass points, to the north is the land access to Yeosu, and all the industrial areas (lit up nicely at night).

Finally, there is an additional urban corridor tucked between the harbour, Yeoseodong and the northern region. This thin stretch contains mostly residential housing, but also an E-mart and Yeosu's Intercity Bus Terminal.

Yeosu is developing like most of Korea, but retains a small-town charm that is vanishing from the country.

• 🌍 Yeosu Airport (여수공항, 麗水空港, RSU  ^IATA). Korean Air and Asiana Airlines fly between Yeosu Airport and Gimpo Airport (Seoul) up to 8 times a day. Korean Air also has flight between Yeosu and Jeju on Friday and Sunday. The airport has an information desk, convenience store, cafes and car rental. There are buses and cheap taxis. It can take up to one hour to the downtown (shinae) of Yeosu by car. 

The express bus terminal (고속버스터미널) is connected to most bus routes across Korea. From Yeosu, it takes 5½ hours to Seoul (Central City terminal) and 2 hours to Gwangju, former capital of South Jeolla. There are two main terminals- one in the middle of the city and one in the Yeocheon neighborhood on the west end of the city. There is a minor terminal in Deogyang neighborhood in the north.

Yeosu has two train stations. The main station is called Yeosu Expo Station yeosuexpoyeok (여수엑스포역) which is the southernmost station of Honam line and one stop before that there is smaller Yeocheon Station yeocheonyeok (여천역). Check Korail website for schedule, to check fare or to book tickets.

The high-speed train KTX began service to Yeosu October 1, 2011. A trip from Seoul to Yeosu takes about 3 hours 20 minutes.

The bus system is very convenient, but a little difficult to utilize. Each bus stop should have a posting of the buses that will arrive and their respective stops but most have been inexplicably vandalised. Those that do still exist are strictly in Korean.

Once south of the main bridge, most buses take a similar route so it can be easy to hop on and off in whichever direction to wish to head. The one exception to this is a branch where half the buses turn south-east to stop at the hermitage whereas the rest continue south around the island chain.

The "magic number" bus, if you can call it that, is the 111. This bus travels a zig-zagging route from the Intercity bus Terminal to Hyangiram Hermitage via Jinnamgwan and the harbour, crossing the Dolsan Bridge and passing many of the tourism attractions on the southern islands.

Hoe (회, sashimi) is locally enjoyed with spicy and sour sauce (초장) and wrapped in lettuce along with garlic, similar to the way Koreans enjoy BBQ.

Hoe restaurants (whaetjib 횟집) are very popular with locals and seafood restaurants in Jonghwa-dong, Soho-dong, atop the cliffs near Dolsan Bridge (overlooking the harbour) and down by the replica turtle ship on the other side, and in Manseongri offer you opportunities to choose your own fish from the tank. You can also eat fresh seafood in each season. Hoe is good in spring and fall, pike eel dishes in summer, and roasted oysters in winter.

For the utmost seafood experience, it is recommended to visit and enjoy the auction center of Suhyup (Fisheries Cooperatives) in Gukdong Fishing Port at 17:00 You can eat fresh raw seafood at a low price provided by dealers.

Also very popular among locals is Seodaewhae (서대회), raw red tongue sole seasoned with spicy sauce and vegetables. If it's too spicy, it can be mixed with hot rice and sesame oil. Many restaurants near marine terminal offers Seodaewhae.

Another specialty of the city is Gat Kimchi (갓김치) made with mustard leaf from Dolsan Island (돌산). Now it can be bought in any supermarket or convenience store in Korea.

Korean Full Course in Yeosu differs from that of Seoul, as the most dishes are seafood. You can enjoy up to 40 different dishes in one meal. Some of the best ones are Hanilkwan (한일관) and Jasan Ubo (자산어보) in Yeoseo-dong. Minimum $20 per person.

• 🌍 Geobuksun bakery (거북선빵), Yi Sun-sin Gwangjang-ro 75, ☏ +82 61-666-9997. 09:00-18:00. This bakery is selling a special bread called Geobukseon bread and yuzu bread. ₩1,500. (updated Sep 2016)
• Miso Ssambap (미소쌈밥), Yeoseodong (여서동). Famous Korean style restaurant, known by all cab drivers. Order jeyukbogeum (제육볶음), a marinated pork dish that you wrap in lettuce, served with many side dishes. 

There are few western style restaurants in Yeosu and even the few ones serve rather Korean style western food. If you are desperate, McDonalds is in yeoseodogn Emart.

• Turtle bean (터틀빈), Jungangdong 746, ☏ +82 61-663-0900. M-Sa 10:00-23:00, Sunday 10:00-22:00. "Coconut coffee" in the cafe is a famous signature menu in Yeosu. ₩2,500-5,900. (updated Nov 2016)

A cheap place to sleep is at the local jimjilbang (찜질방). This is a kind of bathhouse that has a communal room for sleeping on the floor. It usually costs about ₩6000. Ask a taxi driver for the closest jimjilbang:

• Sporex (스포렉스), Yeoseodong. A gym on the 4th floor of Yeoseodong's main nightlife strip with a tiny jjimjilbanmg attached. Has showers instead of a spa and limited lockers, but the sleeping room upstairs is quite pleasant. Being a smaller establishment, one can expect a bit better night's sleep and greater chances of successfully nabbing a sleeping mat and headrest cube. 

• Belagio Tourist Hotel, Hak-dong 200-19, ☏ +82 61-686-7977. Ocean view rooms near Soho-dong yacht marina Rooms from US$30. 
• Eastern Jewelry Hotel, Chungmu-dong 346, ☏ +82 61-664-7070. Check-out: 12:00. rooms from US$80. 
• Nobles Hotel, Hak-dong 77-9, ☏ +82 61-691-1196. Facilies include sky lounge and business center. 
• Chambord Hotel, Konghwa-dong 1054-1, ☏ +82 61-662-6111. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00. Reviews mention noisy rooms and weak water pressure, but otherwise a decent hotel. rooms from US$60. 

Motels are also everywhere in the city and reasonably priced between US$30 and $70. Mainly used by locals, many of them have modern and clean rooms and suites.

• The Ocean Resort, 295 Soho-ro, Soho-dong, Yeosu. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. Offers condominium style rooms and other facilities. Located in Soho-dong, the resort overlooks yacht marina and its own waterpark. Non-member rate starts from US$250 for one-bedroom condominium.