Escaping the Heat and Heading for the Sea
Every summer, without fail, I start craving the ocean. So this summer, once again, I headed to Busan for some proper sea swimming. Just getting out of Seoul and looking at that blue water already felt like half the vacation was done before I even got in.
Mornings and Afternoons Are for Swimming
The first thing I did after getting to Haeundae was, of course, get in the water. From morning through early afternoon, everyone around me was out swimming. Walking past the endless rows of beach umbrellas and stepping into the sea, with the skyline of high-rises visible in the distance along the coast, was honestly a pretty refreshing sight.
The water was clear and calm enough that I could just float around with a tube and completely lose track of time. Watching a jet ski cut across the water in the distance, I remember thinking, “Yeah, summer really does belong to Busan.”
By Evening, It’s Volleyball Time
As the sun starts to dip a little, the whole mood of the beach shifts. Instead of the swimmers who’d filled the water all day, people start setting up for beach volleyball on the sand. Watching them hit the ball back and forth across the net turned out to be its own kind of entertainment. With the heat of the day finally easing off and a cooler breeze starting to roll in, it looked like the perfect time to be out there moving around.
At Night, a Whole Different Side: Gwangalli
Once it got dark, I made my way over to Gwangalli, which has a completely different charm from Haeundae. When the lights on Gwangan Bridge switch on, they cast this soft glow across the water, and honestly, that view alone was enough to melt away the whole day’s exhaustion.
People sat on benches along the sand, quietly talking while looking out at the bridge lit up in the distance, and others strolled past along the shore. It was strange, in a good way, to realize that the same lively beach that had been full of swimmers and volleyball games earlier in the day turns into something this calm and romantic once night falls.
And of Course, It Ends with Sashimi
There’s a row of seafood shops right along Haeundae and Gwangalli, and after a full day of playing in the water, grabbing some fresh sashimi there is basically a rule. Dipping fresh, just-caught-looking sashimi into chogochujang while looking out at the sea — that, to me, is what completes a summer trip to Busan. Maybe it was because we’d been swimming all day, but the sashimi somehow tasted even better than usual.
Wrapping Up
Swimming in the morning, volleyball in the evening, Gwangalli’s night view after that, and sashimi to finish it all off — being able to experience that many different sides of the sea in a single day feels like the real charm of a Busan summer trip. I have a feeling this ocean is going to keep crossing my mind every time the heat gets to me.