Written/Compiled and reported by the Editorial Department of MOOK Scenic Spots Travel & Lifestyle Network

The best way to experience the stunning beauty of Jeju Island is by hiking along the Jeju Olle trails. The Jeju Olle connects the ocean, parasitic volcanic cones (also known as oreums—small, hill-like dormant volcanoes), forests, fields, pastures, villages, traditional markets, and more through a series of walking paths. Just hiking the Jeju Olle allows you to discover all of Jeju Island’s beautiful scenery and culture.

“Olle” is a Jeju dialect word meaning a small path that leads from your doorstep to the main road.Amid the global trend of slow living and leisurely travel, beautiful Jeju Island has also sparked a hiking craze with its “Olle hiking,” spreading the aesthetics of slow movement. The Jeju Olle consists of 21 routes around the island and 5 additional routes around nearby islands and mountainous areas, totaling 26 routes spanning 425 kilometers. On average, 3,000 visitors from Korea and around the world come to explore daily, choosing their favorite Olle trails to hike. Along the way, besides enjoying the beautiful scenery, you can also watch art performances, try carrying a water bucket on your back, walk along circular stone walls, and experience other traditional Jeju Island cultures. Village women’s associations prepare meals for hikers, village children perform special shows in the Jeju dialect, and you can even join farming classes hosted by local youth. These festivals, where you can experience local culture in beautiful nature and interact with residents, will become unforgettable memories for travelers.

This year’s fifth “2014 Jeju Olle Hiking Festival”will be held during the most ideal hiking season in autumn, from Thursday, November 6th to Saturday, November 8th,on Jeju Olle Routes 17, 18, and 19. Themed “Share the Journey Together,” this year’s festival offers a chance for families, friends, and colleagues who are usually busy and rarely get together to share meaningful moments. It hopes that as visitors, families, friends, and couples walk along the beautiful autumn Olle trails, they can enjoy rich cultural and artistic performances, savor rural cuisine, mend distant relationships, deepen friendships, and let the buds of love blossom.

Walk slowly along the “Jeju Olle,” admire Jeju Island’s blue seas, parasitic volcanic cones, stone walls made of black basalt, evergreen fields, and orange-yellow citrus orchards full of fruit—unique sights of Jeju Island. For detailed event information about the “2014 Jeju Olle Hiking Festival,” please visit the official Jeju Olle Hiking Festival website.

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