Taking your folks to Odongdo? Let the train carry your legs

The moment Odongdo comes up, everyone starts hunting for photos — the camellia forest peeking over the breakwater, that dream shot in front of the lighthouse. But once you actually go, there's one thing almost everyone misses: for an island you're supposed to just stroll around, Odongdo takes more legwork than you'd expect. From the entrance across the breakwater to the trail deep inside the island, it's a solid walk even for a grown adult. If you're a parent holding a little one's hand, or a son or daughter bringing along a parent with weak knees, that adds up fast. I'm an otter who's lived fifty years in the waters off Yeosu, and every time Odongdo comes up, there's exactly one thing I want to tell you all: if you want to save your legs, look into the train before you go. Switching around one small step in your plan makes the whole outing that much easier.

Walk in on two legs, ride out on the train

There's a little train that loops around Odongdo. It carries people from the breakwater entrance into the island, running between fixed stops on a set schedule. Here's the trick: walk in on the way there, and take the train on the way back. Could you do it the other way around? Sure — but you'd miss the best part. Walking in across the breakwater, downtown Yeosu and the sea open up on your left while the trail curling into the island slowly comes into view on your right. That short stretch of walking with the sound of waves in your ears is honestly the best part of the whole Odongdo trip. The camellia forest is also something you really only see properly on foot. You have to walk slowly along the narrow trail between the trees to catch the camellias blooming and falling from winter through spring — zip by on the train and you might not even notice the forest is there. By the time you've walked all the way out to the lookout at the far end of the island, your legs are already worn out. That's when you hop on the train. No need to retrace your steps across the breakwater — just sit back and ride comfortably to the entrance. Swap the order like this, and you get both the walking and the resting, no trade-off required.

It's different when you're bringing your parents, or holding a child's hand

If you're traveling solo, you can walk however you like and call it a day. But Odongdo sees a lot of family visitors — young parents pushing strollers, grandparents holding their grandchildren's hands, sons and daughters bringing along a parent recovering from knee surgery. For visitors like these especially, pushing through a long walk in and then walking all the way back out is a recipe for trouble. The trail itself isn't a hard course — it's close to flat, and there's shade, so it's not bad for walking. The problem is the round trip. Walking the same distance once on the way in and once on the way out adds up on your legs more than you'd think, especially under the summer sun, when both kids and adults tire out fast.

So if it's a family outing, here's what I always suggest: take it slow on the way in, snap some photos, enjoy the camellia forest — but on the way out, take the train, no question about it. Kids get a kick out of riding the train, and parents get to sit and rest, easy on the knees. Walk once, ride once, and what would've been a round trip turns into basically a one-way stroll. It's a tiny change in order, but it makes a world of difference in how your legs feel on the way home. This is especially worth remembering if you're a grandparent visiting to dote on the grandkids, or a young parent pushing a stroller.

So, when and how should you ride the Camellia Train?

The Camellia Train runs a set schedule around the island. There are fixed stops, so once you've finished your walk, just wait at the nearest one. The biggest perk is that a round trip that would take a good while on foot becomes an easy, seated ride back. The train also comes in handy when you're carrying a lot. If your family's hauling kids' gear, a picnic mat, and snacks, retracing your steps across the breakwater with your hands full is no small chore. Word is there are lockers near the entrance too, so if you're loaded down, it might be worth stashing your things there first and going around light. Schedules can shift depending on the season or circumstances, so the safest bet is to check the day's operating hours at the entrance signboard or ticket booth as soon as you arrive.

Many people come to Odongdo to catch the camellias blooming and falling from winter through spring. When the flowers are at their peak, the trail turns red in patches, doubling the fun of walking in. But you don't need to time it to that exact season — the evergreen camellia forest and the sea-view lookout make for a good walk any time of year. That said, weekends and peak season bring crowds to both the trail and the train stops, so it's best to go on a weekday or early in the day if you can. Walking when it's less crowded lets you really take in the camellia forest, and you can board the train without much of a wait. Once you've wrapped up your outing, there are plenty of longtime restaurants near Odongdo serving Yeosu specialties like seodae-hoe-muchim (spicy raw flatfish salad) or grilled hairtail — a hearty way to refuel after all that walking.

🦦 Real Photos, via Sudal