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There are many islands around Jeju, but Marado has one title that no other island in South Korea can claim.
Marado is the southernmost island in South Korea.
It is small, windswept and surrounded by open sea, and unlike Jeju's larger attractions, you can experience most of the island on foot in a single visit.
The journey itself is also part of the experience.
You take a ferry from southwestern Jeju, cross the open water and arrive at an island where coastal cliffs, a lighthouse, tiny religious buildings and the famous southernmost-point monument are all within walking distance.
For travelers who have already seen Jeju's beaches, waterfalls and mountains, Marado offers something completely different.
🌊 QUICK ANSWER
📍 Location: South of Jeju Island
🇰🇷 Famous for: Korea's southernmost point
⛴️ Main departure: Unjin Port, southwestern Jeju
⏱️ Ferry: About 30 minutes each way
💰 Adult round trip: KRW 21,000 at counter / KRW 20,000 online
🚶 Island sightseeing: About 1.5 hours
⭐ Must-see: Southernmost Point Monument
🌬️ Biggest warning: Ferry schedules depend on sea and weather conditions
📍 Where Is Marado Island?
Marado lies off the southwestern coast of Jeju Island, beyond the Moseulpo area.
It is a small volcanic island surrounded by open sea and is officially part of Daejeong-eup in Seogwipo.
The island itself is compact enough that most first-time visitors explore it on foot.
📍 Marado Island
Mara-ri,
Daejeong-eup,
Seogwipo-si,
Jeju-do, South Korea
Mara-ri,
Daejeong-eup,
Seogwipo-si,
Jeju-do, South Korea
⛴️ Where Do You Catch the Ferry?
For most travelers, the easiest option is the regular passenger ferry departing from Unjin Port, also known as Moseulpo South Port.
📍 Unjin Port
120 Choenamdanhaean-ro,
Daejeong-eup,
Seogwipo-si,
Jeju-do
120 Choenamdanhaean-ro,
Daejeong-eup,
Seogwipo-si,
Jeju-do
🗺️ Unjin Port Map
If you are traveling by rental car, use the map below to navigate directly to the passenger terminal.
🎟️ Marado Ferry Price in 2026
For the Unjin Port route, the current 2026 adult same-day round-trip fare is:
Adult counter price:
KRW 21,000
Adult online discounted price:
KRW 20,000
Marine Park admission:
Adult KRW 1,000
Children, teenagers, Jeju residents and eligible discounted passengers have different rates.
Always check the booking page before your visit because ferry prices and discount campaigns can change.
💰 Booking Tip
If your travel date is fixed, online booking can be useful not only for the small discount but also because ferry capacity is limited.
🕘 Marado Ferry Schedule in August 2026
The August 2026 schedule currently includes departures from Unjin Port such as:
1st sailing:
Unjin Port 09:40 → Marado 10:10
2nd sailing:
Unjin Port 11:10 → Marado 11:40
Later sailing:
Around 13:50 → Marado around 14:20
Your return ferry is normally tied to the sailing schedule and the amount of sightseeing time allocated on the island.
Do not assume that you can simply return whenever you want.
⚠️ This Is Important
Ferry schedules can change because of wind, waves and sea conditions.
Check the official ferry operator again on the morning of your trip rather than relying only on a timetable saved days earlier.
🪪 Bring Your Passport or ID
Ferry boarding in Korea requires passenger identification.
Foreign travelers should carry their passport or another identification document accepted by the ferry operator.
Passengers also complete boarding information before departure.
Arriving early is a much better idea than arriving exactly at departure time.
⏰ Local Travel Tip
Aim to arrive at Unjin Port about 40 minutes before departure so you have enough time for parking, ticketing and boarding procedures.
🚶 How Long Does It Take to Walk Around Marado?
One of the best things about Marado is its size.
You do not need a rental car, scooter or complicated transport plan once you arrive.
A typical sightseeing visit takes around 90 minutes.
The island's coastal route connects the main sights naturally, so you can simply begin walking after leaving the pier.
Pier → Coastal Walk → Southernmost Point → Lighthouse → Village → Pier
If you stop for lunch or spend a lot of time taking photographs, allow more time.
🇰🇷 1. Korea's Southernmost Point Monument
This is the one place almost every first-time visitor wants to see.
The monument marks the symbolic southern end of South Korea.
Standing here and looking out toward the open sea gives Marado its strongest sense of place.
There is no large attraction surrounding it.
The appeal comes from the simple fact that you have traveled as far south as you can within South Korea's inhabited territory.
📷 Photo Tip
The monument can become busy immediately after a ferry arrives. If a crowd is forming, continue your walk and return later before heading back to the pier.
🌊 2. Walk the Coastal Path
The most memorable part of Marado is not one individual landmark.
It is the walk itself.
Large sections of the island are open grassland, with very little blocking the view of the surrounding sea.
Along the coastline you can see dark basalt, cliffs and rock formations shaped by waves and wind.
On clear days, the horizon seems unusually wide because there are so few buildings or mountains around you.
🌬️ Wind Warning
Marado is very exposed. Even when Jeju's mainland feels comfortable, the wind on the island can be noticeably stronger.
💡 3. Marado Lighthouse
The Marado Lighthouse stands near the island's highest area.
It has long served as an important navigational point for ships traveling through the waters south of Jeju.
The lighthouse also gives visitors another reason to walk beyond the restaurant area instead of turning back immediately after seeing the southernmost monument.
The open grassland around it creates one of Marado's most distinctive scenes.
⛪ A Tiny Island With Several Religions
One of Marado's unexpected characteristics is that such a small island contains several religious sites.
Visitors may encounter the distinctive Marado Catholic Church as well as Giwonjeongsa Buddhist Temple while walking around the island.
They are not huge attractions.
But their presence adds another layer to an island that is often described only as Korea's southernmost point.
🍜 Should You Eat Jajangmyeon on Marado?
Marado has become surprisingly famous for jajangmyeon — Korean-style noodles in black bean sauce.
The first restaurant serving the dish on the island opened in the late 1990s, and more restaurants followed.
Today, eating jajangmyeon on Marado has become part of the island's tourism culture.
Some restaurants add local ingredients such as hijiki seaweed or seafood to make their versions different from ordinary mainland jajangmyeon.
🍜 Should You Plan Your Trip Around It?
Try it if you are curious, but do not spend so much time waiting for food that you miss the coastal walk or your return ferry.
☀️ What Should You Bring?
🪪 Passport or ID
Required for ferry boarding procedures.
🧥 Light windbreaker
Useful even when Jeju mainland feels warm.
🧴 Sunscreen
Much of the island is open and exposed.
👟 Comfortable shoes
You will spend most of the visit walking.
🥤 Water
Especially important in summer.
🔋 Charged phone
Useful for maps, ferry information and photos.
🌧️ When Should You NOT Go?
Marado is not a destination where bad weather is just a minor inconvenience.
The ferry crossing itself depends on sea conditions.
Strong wind, high waves or other marine conditions can lead to schedule changes or cancellations.
⚠️ Do Not Force the Trip
If ferries are canceled because of sea conditions, change your itinerary. Marado is much more enjoyable on a day when the ferry and coastal walk can be completed safely.
⏱️ How Much Time Should You Allow?
The island walk itself may take around 90 minutes, but your total trip is longer because of ferry boarding and travel time.
Before departure:
Arrive about 40 minutes early
Ferry to Marado:
About 30 minutes
Island visit:
About 1.5–2.5 hours depending on your assigned return sailing and meal stops
Return ferry:
About 30 minutes
Total:
Plan roughly half a day rather than treating Marado as a one-hour stop
❓ BEST 3 QUESTIONS
Q1. Can I visit Marado as a day trip?
Yes.
Most tourists visit Marado as a day trip from Jeju, and the regular ferry schedules are designed around island sightseeing and same-day return.
Q2. Do I need a car on Marado?
No.
The island is small and walking is the best way to experience it.
Leave your rental car on the Jeju mainland and explore Marado on foot.
Q3. Is Marado worth visiting if I already visited Udo?
Yes, if you enjoy island travel.
Udo and Marado offer very different experiences.
Udo is larger and has beaches, cafés and various ways to move around the island. Marado is smaller, quieter and much more focused on walking, open-ocean scenery and the symbolic experience of reaching Korea's southernmost point.
⭐ A Local's Final Advice
Do not treat Marado as a place where you need to collect ten attractions.
That is not what makes the island special.
Take the ferry across the open sea.
Walk slowly along the coast.
Stand at the southernmost point.
Watch the waves below the cliffs.
Walk past the lighthouse.
And if you have time, sit down for a bowl of Marado-style jajangmyeon before returning to Jeju.
The appeal of Marado is not how much there is to do. It is the feeling of having traveled to the very end of South Korea.
Official Information
Marado & Gapado Regular Passenger Ferry
Unjin Port
120 Choenamdanhaean-ro,
Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo-si, Jeju
Official Marado & Gapado Ferry
Visit Jeju Official Tourism Information
Important: Always check the ferry operator's same-day sailing notice before leaving your accommodation.
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