Namhae Island is centrally located along the southern coast of South Korea. This island is most well known for the Namhae German Village [독일마을] and the Boriam [보리암] Temple located in Hanryohaesang Marine National Park. I first went to Namhae in 2019 for Oktoberfest in the German Village. During that trip, I was very impressed by the beaches – the Sangju Silver Sand Beach [상주은모래비치] in particular – and by the unique atmosphere of the German Village. Wanting to better explore the nature beauty of this island, I returned in the spring of 2024. For this trip, I took a car and made time to visit the Boriam Temple and Mt. Geumsan [금산].
The following article details the hiking and walking options for Mt. Geumsan and the Boriam Temple – including where to get credit for the Island and Mountain Challenge and where to get the stamp for the Marine National Park Passport Tour.
The Boriam Temple stands out among Korea’s countless temples for its accessibility, sweeping views and popularity among hiking groups. This temple is located near to the peak of Mt. Geumsan (704.9m) and is accessible as either a proper hike of about 4.6-5.2km from the base of the mountain from the Geumsan Visiting Information Center [금산탐방지원센터] or as a 2-3km round trip inclined walk from the Bokgok Visiting Information Center’s [복곡탐방지원센터] parking lot.
Hiking Mt. Geumsan
Geumsan Visiting Information Center/금산탐방지원센터 경남 남해군 상주면 남해대로 918-13 https://naver.me/GfbAcblf
If you want to complete the full hike, there is a small parking lot area at the Geumsan Visiting Information Center but due to its small size, it’s likely to fill up by 10-11am. So I would advise an earlier start, if possible.
Walking to Boriam Temple / 보리암
Bokgok Visiting Information Center/복곡탐방지원센터 경남 남해군 이동면 보리암로 586 https://naver.me/FiOV1vGP
There are two main areas to park and access the Bokgok center. The upper most parking lot which is immediately in front of Bokgok is called parking lot 2 (as you have to drive past parking lot 1 at the base of the mountain to get to it). Parking lot 2 is conveniently located only a 900 meter walk from the temple but is small and fills up quickly. So, for most people who visit Boriam Temple, you will have to park at the base of the mountain in parking lot 1. Luckily, the park offers a free shuttle bus between this parking lot and the Bokgok Visiting Information Center. While we did see some people walking between these lots instead of taking the shuttle, it’s a several kilometers long steep, paved road, so I would advise you to just take the free shuttle bus.
One of the appeals of the Bokgok starting point is that it is where you can acquire the Boriam Temple stamp for the Marine National Park Passport Stamp Tour for this Hanryohaesang Marine National Park location. I forgot my marine passport during this trip, so I got the stamp on a piece of paper which I glued into the passport itself.
If you elect to do the easier walking course and start at Bokgok, there is 2,000 won per adult entry fee and a parking fee (we paid 5,000 won for 1.5 hours of parking). You pay the entry fee at the Bokgok visiting center, pictured below.
From Bokgok, it’s 800 meters of uphill walking to a 3-way intersection. The left path takes you down a 100 meters long staircase to Boriam Temple. The right path is a hiking trail that takes you to Mt. Geumsan’s peak. These courses can be done as an additional 740 meter loop, so if you want do both the peak and the temple either direction is fine. We opted to go left and see the temple first.
Exploring the Boriam Temple / 보리암
Here is a taste of what the temple has to offer, enough that it might inspire you to go yourself, but not enough to feel like you have already gone simply by reading this article.
Exploring the temple complex will present you with sweeping southern views of the ocean, various beaches and scattered small islands around Namhae Island.
Slightly below the main temple buildings is a platform with unobstructed views of the ocean, complete with various statues and an actively used praying area.
While many of the stone statues are newer additions, one relic remains and is protected by a low lying stone wall and signs encouraging tourists to keep their distance. From this area you can also begin a short hike to the peak of Mt. Geumsan.
Hiking the Boriam Temple – Mt. Geumsan Loop
This ‘hiking’ loop is very simple and just a 30 minute addition to a visit to Boriam Temple. Friendly to the non-hiking crowd and so I highly recommend this add on. The views from the peak’s watchtower are the best of this trip.
The Korean National Park Service didn’t not do a great job when they designed this hiking map. I say this because the distances on the map do not in anyway correlate to the length of the lines. The loop sections between the temple and peak are only 0.1-0.22km but appear the same length as the 0.8km walk to the loop. This poor design makes the loop seem difficult, when in reality it’s a 30 minute / 740 meter course.
The distance between Boriam Temple and the peak is 440 meters, and then it’s 200 meters descent to return to the 3 way intersection. This peak is on the Blackyak’s Island and Mountain Challenge, and the peak stone labeled ‘남해금산” is the check in location. Overall this hike and the outing in general has many fantastic views, with the most grand of those is visible atop the peak’s watchtower.
There are restaurants located in the lower parking lot area, but I would encourage you to explore the beachside options or heading over to the German Village (just a 20 minute drive away) for a truly unique experience here in South Korea.
Happy Trekking.
-Aurora
