Living in a tropical country with some of the most famous beaches in the world, I have become exposed to (though not necessarily subscribe to) the idea that whenever you’re on the beach, you’re supposed to get into the water. High-profile beaches are always accompanied with photos of people in their various states of dress and mostly un-dress as they frolic in the sand and surf. It’s almost a rarity to equate a well-known beach with something more sedate like simply taking a walk and just sinking your feet into the sand. Instead, they’d go, “if you want some quiet ‘muni-muni’ time, go climb a mountain!” Fortunately, that is not the case everywhere.
It was the latter part of summer when we visited Udo, and despite some rains and showers, the sun and the overall weather was still fair enough for beach bums to hang around in beaches. But not in Hagosudong.
Or maybe I just got used to different types of “beach bums…?”
Hop On, Hop Off Hagosudong
Riding inside one of the tour buses of Udo Island will already afford you a comprehensive glimpse of the island, from the humble residential homes and small-town stores to acres and acres of agricultural land farmed by the locals for their livelihood, to the sweeps of beaches accompanied by breathtaking views of the surf crashing against the rocks on the shore…
It’s already a treat, especially if the weather cooperates fully.
I remember there being a couple of stops where tourists can get down and check out several patches of the coastline from the road before we decided to get down ourselves. We chose to do so at Hagosudong Beach.
From the Hago Beach Bathhouse (I don’t know why the word “bathhouse” is tacked on to it, there must be one of them somewhere close) bus stop, one can immediately glimpse the wide stretch of very light-colored sand.
This is Hagosudong Beach, arguably the most well-known beaches in the small island of Udo. It is said that the place becomes packed during the peak of summer, so I suppose it was not the peak when we went there, because it was not… well, packed.
I did hear about some festivals being held here during summer, and I’d have to say, with that much space, the place is the perfect venue for outdoor concerts.
And knowing how the Koreans love their fireworks, I’m not at all surprised that this is also a natural choice for fireworks.
From afar, those green thingies looked like small toys buried into the sand. It kinda reminded me of those things that you end up with when you tear plastic soda cups and then fold them unto themselves.
But they’re actually small tables with the umbrellas folded, and plastic chairs turned down so they won’t be easily and carelessly scattered about. Against the backdrop of the sand and the water on the horizon, they do make a pretty picture.
I suppose, when viewed from afar, on a particularly very sunshiny day, Hagosudong Beach looks like a white sand beach. But nope, it’s not white sand, but more like a bit of a light brown.
But the sand is very very veryyyyyy fine. If you’re Filipino, you’d probably know what I mean when I say it’s like those soft flour-y polvoron. I didn’t dare taste it to confirm more of the theory, though. *wink wink*
And you know how most sandy beaches would have you fighting to gain some respectable footing, and you can’t even run properly on the sand, at least not without tripping or having to pull your foot out of being buried underneath the sand? That’s not really the case here.
The sandy ground is quite packed, so it’s firm, it’s almost like you’re walking on a concrete pavement covered with sand.
It’s a straight walk towards the water, and one of the defining features of Udo’s Hagosudong Beach is how shallow the water is. No wonder parents seem all right letting their li’l ‘uns frolic on the water by themselves, because it does not look like there’s any sheer drop of the sandy sea floor close to the beach. If there is one, it’s probably hundreds of meters away.
You’d also notice how there are no stray rocks to trip on, or that could cause injuries. Another plus for parents hoping to introduce their tottering toddies to a big body of water.
And the water looks so clean, from afar, it is hard to tell where the water and the sand actually met, until you see the ebb.
Compared to the usual beaches I know of, especially in the Philippines, it appears Hagosudong has much lesser sand. I don’t think you can create a sand castle bigger or taller than a foot.
Well, you probably could, but then you’d have to collect substantial amount of sand, unlike in other beaches where a single sweep of an arm will give you enough sand to create a moat or a castle wall.
But then again, I am no builder, much less of sand castles, to be talking at great length about that. Forgive me. XD
This is the type of beach for those looking for some down-time and are not really looking to shake things up. Adrenaline junkies will probably mark this as a place to take nice photos in, then move on to other places. OR, it could be the complete opposite, where adrenaline junkies will hang out in to ground themselves back down, after a heady rush elsewhere.
If I had a ready change of clothes, and if this was the last item on our day’s itinerary, then we would not have hesitated to kick off our shoes, make some kicks on the water, then lie down on that soft yet firm, fine sand afterward. Alas, that was not the case, so we made do with what little liberties we had.
And let our eyes feast.
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