A Half Day on Gapado on a Rest Day: the Ferry from Unjin Port and a Low Island You Walk Around

This is an example half day taking the boat from Unjin Port to Gapado on a day without a round. Plan backwards from the return boat and you won't need to rush.

1. Before you go: check the timetable, bring ID, and book ahead if you can
2. Take the scheduled ferry from Unjin Port
3. On Gapado: walk the coastal Olle trail or the route across the middle, about 1 to 2 hours
4. The boat back: one or two of the last sailings may run one way only, so leave on the boat you decided on in advance

According to VisitJeju's information on the scheduled ferry, scheduled ferries run to Marado and Gapado, leaving from Unjin Port. You must bring ID to board, and passengers should check the sailing times in advance. VisitJeju says to check the timetable on the website and recommends booking and buying tickets ahead.

If you are going and coming back the same day, pay particular attention to the boat back. Among the boats from Unjin Port to Marado and Gapado, one or two of the last sailings sometimes run one way only, and VisitJeju notes that by around 3 to 4 p.m. there are no more sailings, not even one way. Sailing times can change because of bad weather or the operator's circumstances, so check on the website or by phone (064-794-5490) on the day you go as well.

VisitJeju introduces Gapado as the fourth-largest of Jeju's outlying islands and explains that, seen from above, it is shaped like a ray swimming through the sea. One story says the name comes from its resemblance to a ray; another says it was once called Gaedo for its resemblance to a lid, and the name settled into Gapado.

The island is divided into Sangdong and Hadong, and VisitJeju says about 177 people in 93 households live there. There is a place near the port to rent bicycles, but with no uphill roads and a walk of 1 to 2 hours to see it all, it is easy to explore on foot. It is a comfortable distance for loosening your legs the day after a round.

Gapado's Olle trail has a route that walks around the island along the coast and a route that cuts across the middle past the village and the green barley fields. VisitJeju says you cannot talk about Gapado without its green barley. Islanders too busy with the sea to tend their farms planted barley, which grows well once the seed is sown, and the barley, which grows well over 1 m tall, now makes a well-known scene together with the stone walls and the sea.

VisitJeju says the Gapado Green Barley Festival is held every year from early April to early May, with events such as walks through the barley fields, an Olle trail treasure hunt and outdoor performances. If you go in another season, think of it as an island of broad fields and sea rather than waves of barley, and choose your route accordingly.

According to VisitJeju, many dolmens, prehistoric monuments, remain on Gapado, so people are thought to have begun living there as far back as the Neolithic period. Of the roughly 180 dolmens in Jeju, 135 remain on Gapado, VisitJeju notes. There is also a story that people came to live there after the governor of Jeju permitted cattle grazing in 1751.

In the Joseon period, when boat traffic to the main island was scarce, Gapado's islanders are said to have lit beacon fires to signal Moseulpo on the main island. One fire meant water and food were running short, two meant water and food had run out and someone was seriously ill, and three meant someone had died or was in danger of dying; seeing the fires, Moseulpo sent the boats and supplies needed, the story goes.

• Where do I catch the boat to Gapado? — According to VisitJeju, scheduled ferries to Marado and Gapado leave from Unjin Port.
• Can I go in late in the afternoon? — One or two of the last sailings may run one way only, and VisitJeju notes that service ends around 3 to 4 p.m. If you are coming back the same day, check the boat back first.
• How long does it take to walk around the island? — With no uphill roads, VisitJeju says you can walk around it all in 1 to 2 hours.
• What should I bring? — You must bring ID to board. Sailing times can change in bad weather, so check on the day.