Heonhwa-ro Road

Heonhwa-ro is a coastal road in northern Gangneung that runs directly along the East Sea between Geumjin and Sageunjin, considered by Korean drivers one of the country's most beautiful short coastal drives. The road hugs a rocky shoreline rather than a beach line, with several pull-outs for surf-watching and a stone-monument park inscribed with the 8th-century Silla "Heonhwa-ga," the lyric poem after which the road is named. The drive is roughly 20 minutes end-to-end without stops, but most travelers spend 90 minutes pulling over for photos and short rocky-shore walks. Best in summer for pure ocean color or autumn for sharp light. Pair with Jumunjin Port and Sageunjin Beach.