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[HanCinema's Travel Diaries] Busan's picturesque Gwanggalli Beach

My time in Busan wasn't only spent at the 22nd Busan International Film Festival, but also in exploring the beautiful seaside city itself. I met up with friends to wander around with camera in hand and belly empty in order to try all that Busan had to offer. One particularly lovely day we traveled to Gwangalli Beach, a beach famous for its fine sand, Gwangandaegyo Bridge, magnificent skyline, and bustling social and shopping scenes.

 

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As a native of Miami, Florida, the beach is like a second home to me and I brimmed with excitement when we decided to head over to Gwangalli. My friend and I met up at Busan station and took the Busan subway line 2 to Geumyreon station. You can take exit 1 or exit 3 to head towards the beach, but we took exit 1. You can also head to Gwangan station and take exit 3 or 5 to hit another part of the 1.40 kilometer/0.87 mile long beach.

There is a short walk to the beach, which is wonderfully interesting. The street we stumbled upon took had a small river of water running down the sidewalk, coursing beneath fruit and veggie crates and racing passersby to the ocean. Families strolled, stopping occasionally to buy snacks while my friend and I booked it to the ocean.

From streets of buildings lazily stretching towards the blue skies, we suddenly stumbled across a stunning view: a curved bay surrounded by a stretch of skyline on either side connected by the gracefully arching Gwangandaegyo Bridge. Along with the cool breeze and people lazily taking in the view, my friend and I made our way to the water. We were the only people who took our shoes off to enjoy the warm sand and cold salt water because that's how we grew up enjoying the ocean. It felt freezing washing over our feet, but it was lovely all the same. After drying our toes in the sun, we were ready for lunch and headed to Slice of Life Pizza (153 Gwanganhaebyeon-ro, Gwangan 2(i)-dong, Suyeong-gu, Busan), an honest-to-goodness pizza joint with imported ingrediants from all over the world, an open tap, and a view of Gwangalli Beach. We were lucky enough to snack the seat with the best view and ordered our slices. As you can see from the pictures, I got a little anxious to try the pizza and took a bite out of it before remembering to take a shot for you guys.

 

 

 

At the time we visited, the place wasn't busy, which was lovely. The staff speaks good English as well. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch before walking off the lunch haze and window shopping.

If you decide to visit Busan, I'd highly recommend the area because it really is absolutely gorgeous. There are also many neighboring areas with things to do such as the Millak Waterfront Park, exploring the Gwangandaegyo Bridge, Suyeong Sajeok Park, and trekking to Dongbaekseom Island - all of which I plan to visit during my next trip to Busan!

Stay tuned for more diary pieces about my Busan adventures!

 

Written by: Lisa Espinosa AKA Raine from 'Raine's Dichotomy'

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