Jeju Olle Trail, a walking trail in volcanic island Jeju and a UNESCO Natural Heritage Site
A walking path created with aim of happiness that harmonize hikers, local residents, and the nature
Jeju Olle Trail
The Jeju Olle Trail opened in 2007 in UNESCO World Heritage and Asia's best-known vacation spot of Jeju Island. Jeju Island is 50 minutes away from Seoul by flight, and it offers a unique culture, language, and environment. The latest volcanic activity occurred a thousand years ago, proven through 380 oreums (small extinct volcanoes resembling small mounds and hills) and black basalt stonewalls. 'Olle' is a Jeju dialect for a narrow alley from the main road to a house gate. In fact, 'Olle' is a passage from an individual and an outer world.
Jeju's temperature never goes below zero. The fields are green all year round, and flowers bloom year-round with stunning colors everywhere, even in winters. It may snow on top of Mt. Hallasan Mountain, South Korea's tallest mountain at 1950 meters, yet bright orange tangerines would ripe elsewhere on the island. The Jeju Olle Trail is a loop along the island's coast, 437 kilometers long. It is not the most comfortable walk path, as it preserves the natural elements. Meandering paths along the coast and tight trails created by nature pass through many villages in Jeju. Jeju Olle hikers enjoy the privileged beauty of the preserved nature while interacting with Jeju residents and experiencing Jeju's unique culture.
A good example is Haenyeo(women divers), a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, fishing in their oldest traditional way. Running into one on the trail is quite common. On the Jeju Olle Trail are sections dedicated to strolling, playing, and resting, assuming completion of a route per day. More than 600,000 hikers visit Jeju in a year to enjoy its nature and culture and earn happiness and remedy after communicating with Jeju residents
Chairperson of Jeju Olle Foundation Suh, Myungsook also the Jeju Olle Trail founder, was a noted journalist. Once Korea's first female chief editor for a newsweekly, Ms. Suh quit her 20-year-long journalism career and embarked on a pilgrimage on Camino de Santiago, Spain. On the camino, she became friends with a hiker from Great Britain, and they promised to make their own camino like trail and share the comfort and happiness they had enjoyed on Camino de Santiago in their home countries.
Ms. Suh returned to Jeju Island and began building a trekking route in 2007. Together with a few volunteers, she discovered long-hidden trails in Jeju, explored new trails unreachable by cars, and restored the forgotten paths. She created a whole new route for foot travelers. Based on her experience in Santiago, she was confident that hikers worldwide would genuinely appreciate the Jeju's beauty. Initially, it was a lonely project, but volunteers and donors strengthened the process. By establishing the Jeju Olle non-profit foundation, she could complete the 437-kilometer-long Jeju Olle Trail of 27 routes.
The Jeju Olle Trail connects the trails that old Jeju residents have once taken, the tracks unpaved in nature, and the paths that transparently show Jeju's sceneries and cultures. It passes through public and private properties. When laying the trail across the personal property, the foundation met with the owner and persuaded him to grant a pass. Most property owners were willing to open their property to visitors to Jeju.
The Jeju Olle Trail wishes its visitors would relieve the stress and anxiety of everyday life and take back with them peace, happiness, and hopefully remedy. Jeju Olle Trail is independently operated and managed by the Jeju Olle Foundation, a private non-profit organization with the volunteering and support of all those who wish the trail to sustain for hundreds and thousands of years to the next generations.
