Korea Day 7: Seaside Cafés, Seagulls and a Sunset Sky Capsule Ride in Busan

A PERFECT MORNING

I managed to wake up early enough to catch the sunrise, and wow. Even before the sun appeared, the sky looked like a painting, with soft colours stretching across the sea. Definitely worth waking up for.

Before the sun appeared, the sky already looked like a painting. So glad I woke up for this.

Then came the sun, casting a golden trail across the water beside Gwangan Bridge. Wow.

Then I went back to sleep. It was still quite cold in the morning, so I decided to stay cosy a little longer and head out once it had warmed up. Once, I got out of the hotel I took a morning stroll around Gwangalli beach.

A morning stroll at Gwangalli Beach. I couldn’t resist the sunlight shimmering across the water.

Little ribbons of seafoam tracing patterns over the sand. I could have watched the waves all morning.

The main highlight today was riding the Haeundae Sky Capsule from Mipo to Cheongsapo. I’d left the booking a little late, and many of the earlier slots were already taken. I’d also read mixed advice about the afternoon lighting for photos, so I decided to go for a slot around sunset.

That left me with a small planning dilemma. I wanted to explore Cheongsapo and its cafés in daylight, rather than arrive after sunset and risk missing places I wanted to visit. So I headed there first, before making my way to Haeundae Beach and Mipo Station for my capsule ride… back to Cheongsapo.

A little backtracking, yes. Probably not the most efficient route, but I still had a lovely day.

PALDOMIYEOK CHEONGSAPO

My first order of business was lunch at Paldomiyeok Cheongsapo, which specialises in seaweed soup. I went for the sea urchin version and liked it so much. It tasted simple and comforting, with a lovely sweetness that made it surprisingly appetising. I kept going back for another spoonful of broth and honestly couldn’t stop drinking it. Such a satisfying start to the day.

Sea urchin seaweed soup at Paldomiyeok Cheongsapo. Simple, sweet and so appetising that I couldn’t stop drinking the broth.

Paldomiyeok Cheongsapo (팔도미역 청사포점)

Address: 2F, 125-1 Cheongsapo-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan

Opening hours: Daily, 8:30 am–7:20 pm; Last order: 6:40 pm

STROLLING AROUNG CHEONGSAPO

After lunch, I went for a stroll around Cheongsapo. The water was such a lovely shade of blue, with the red and white lighthouses standing at the harbour entrance and rows of concrete wavebreakers lining the shore. Along the waterfront, there were racks of seaweed laid out to dry in the sunshine. It was nice to see these little glimpses of everyday life between the cafés and photo spots. I took my time wandering around, stopping every now and then for another photo. With views like these, how to resist?

A little wander along the rocky shoreline, with the blue sea stretching out beyond.

Around the harbour, there were racks of seaweed drying in the sunshine.

Cheongsapo’s red and white lighthouses, with rows of concrete wavebreakers lining the harbour.

Blue skies, turquoise water and a little white lighthouse. Such a pretty view.

Looking back towards the waterfront, with colourful wavebreakers in the foreground.

BRONI

After the stroll, I headed to Broni for a tea break. Such a lovely place, with a beautiful sea view and white tetrapods lining the shore. Against the blue water, even the wave breakers added to the aesthetic.

Broni’s big windows offered a little preview of the sea views waiting inside.

I wanted a window seat, but they were all taken, so I waited for one to become available. There wasn’t a formal queue, which made things a little frustrating. Twice, groups who arrived after me rushed over and claimed seats as soon as someone left. Apparently, you had to be quick. To be fair, they may not have noticed that I came before them, so while I was a little frustrated,I mostly resigned myself to waiting. Oh well, my turn would come. I wanted the view, but I wasn’t about to race across the café for it! If you’re hoping for a window seat like I was, be prepared to wait and keep an eye out when one becomes available.

Eventually, another tourist who had been standing right beside me stood up to rush towards a newly vacated window seat. Since she’d been beside me, I thought it would have been fairly obvious that I’d arrived before her and was waiting too. So I spoke up and told her I’d been waiting. Thankfully, she was quite nice about it and let me have the seat. Finally, I could settle in and enjoy the view, without having to sprint across the café for it!

Once I settled in, though, it was lovely. I had a blueberry Basque cheesecake and iced milk tea. The cake was beautifully presented and tasted good too. Leaning back on the beanbag with my dessert and that sea view in front of me, I was quite happy to linger, but not for too long since there are people waiting.

Blueberry Basque cheesecake, an iced milk drink and the blue sea beyond. Such a pretty tea break at Broni.

Finally settled into a window seat. Time to lean back, enjoy my dessert and watch the sea.

Broni (브로니)

Address: Floors 1–3, 135 Cheongsapo-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan

Opening hours: Daily, 11:00 am–8:00 pm; Last order: 7:30 pm

HAEUNDAE BEACH

Next, I headed to Haeundae Beach. I’d spent longer than expected at Cheongsapo and was feeling a little lazy, so I took a taxi over. Haeundae felt livelier than Gwangalli, but my first thought was: wow, so many seagulls! I’m generally a little scared of birds, and was worried about the seagulls, especially after seeing videos of seagulls snatching food from people. Thankfully, the ones I saw were quite happy minding their own business. As long as they kept doing that, I didn’t mind sharing the beach with them. They were actually kind of cute.

Hello, Haeundae!

Just standing around, letting the waves come to them. The reflections and curved line of foam are lovely.

Me and the seagulls, all enjoying the sea in our own space.

This one looked like it was contemplating life.

A lovely wide beach view, with rolling waves and seagulls scattered along the shore.

Three seagulls, three different poses. The middle one clearly noticed the camera.

SKY CAPSULE RIDE

Then it was finally time for my Sky Capsule ride! Mipo Station was just a short walk from the eastern end of Haeundae Beach, so it was easy to make my way over after my stroll.

Arriving at Blueline Park.

Colourful capsules making their way along the elevated tracks.

A few things to take note of if you’re planning this too:

• Book ahead, especially if you have a particular timing in mind. I booked a little late and many of the earlier slots were already taken. You can book through the [official Haeundae Blueline Park website. Make sure you’re booking the Sky Capsule, as the Beach Train is a separate ride.

• Tickets currently open every Tuesday at 7 am Korean time, for the week four weeks ahead. There are also limited tickets available at the station, which you can purchase on the spot, but I’d book in advance if your schedule isn’t flexible.

• The selected time is an entry window, rather than an exact departure time. I booked my ticket for 6–6.30 pm window, which means I can enter the queue during that period. There may still be a wait before you board, so it is definitely better to reach a little earlier so you can set off at your desired timing

• If you’re hoping to catch the sunset like myself, check the sunset time for your travel date and allow for possible boarding delays. Booking a slot around sunset doesn’t guarantee you’ll be inside the capsule at that exact moment!

• The journey takes about 30 minutes and is one way, so think about what you’d like to do after arriving. You can explore Cheongsapo, return by Beach Train or walk along the coastal trail.

• Each capsule is private and holds up to four people. Solo travellers can have the capsule to themselves, but will need to pay the minimum two-person fare.

• Keep your mobile ticket handy. The QR code sent through email or KakaoTalk is your boarding pass.

Before entering the boarding area, I went to a photo spot overlooking the Sky Capsules.

A little red capsule against the golden sky and shimmering sea.

A pastel capsule passing above the blue sea.

Watching the capsules glide past while the sun sank lower over the sea.

To reach the same photo spot, walk along the outside of Mipo Station without entering the boarding area. Keep to the right and follow the outdoor platform until you reach a gate. Turn left through it, cross the tracks at the designated pedestrian crossing, then head up the steps. The staircase gives you a lovely angle for photographing the capsules. Of course, you can also follow the crowd!

There were some souvenirs for sale at the boarding area, which I browsed while waiting for my turn. Then it was time to hop into my capsule! The ride was so scenic and peaceful, slowly making its way along the coast with the sea stretching out beside me. Thirty minutes might sound like a long time, but between admiring the view and taking photos, it was over before I knew it. I would happily have stayed on a little longer.

Setting off! A lovely view of the colourful capsules lined up along the curving tracks.

Very happy with my little capsule and its sea view. A lovely personal memory from the ride.

Curving through the pine trees beneath a soft peach sky.

Approaching Cheongsapo, with rooftops, colourful capsules and the sea ahead.

Arriving back at Cheongsapo, with its red and white lighthouses beneath the evening sky.

After alighting at Cheongsapo, I stopped to watch the Beach Train pass through the crossing. With the road sloping down towards the sea, the scene reminded me of the famous railway crossing in Kamakura, Japan. Of course, I had to stop for a photo!

The Beach Train passing through Cheongsapo, with the sea at the end of the street.

Capsules gliding past Cheongsapo’s red and white lighthouses as the waterfront lights came on.

KYOCHON TAKEWAY AT HOTEL

After that, it was back to my hotel. There was a Kyochon nearby, so I picked up some fried chicken to take back for dinner. I went with a half-and-half order recommended by the shop assistant, with six pieces of each flavour. It turned out to be far too much for me alone! If I recall correctly, I ordered the honey garlic and soy garlic flavour. I preferred the honey garlic flavour; the other was just okay for me. Perhaps my expectations had been a little too high, because it wasn’t quite as nice as I’d imagined. I also can’t eat too much fried food in one sitting, so towards the end it started to feel a little too rich and heavy, and I couldn’t finish it.

Kyochon takeaway with a view of Gwangan Bridge. Two flavours, twelve pieces and one very ambitious solo diner.

AND THAT WAS DAY 7!

From waking up to a sky that looked like a painting to watching seagulls at Haeundae and gliding along the coast in a little capsule, it had been a lovely day by the sea. My route involved a little backtracking, but I was glad I’d taken my time at Cheongsapo. Now it was time to rest, with Gwangan Bridge lighting up the view outside my hotel window.

Love,

Shu