This guide covers a pair of stops on the coast of Gijang County in Busan: Chilam Port, with a lighthouse built like a baseball, and Ilgwang Beach, a wide sandy beach. It also covers where to eat sea eel near the port and how to reach both places by the Donghae Line, so you do not need a car.
Every fact below comes from a named source and was checked on 2 October 2026. Where sources disagree, we say so. Where we found nothing, we say that too.
Where to Go: A Lighthouse and a Beach
Chilam Port (칠암항)
The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) says Chilam Port became well known after a baseball lighthouse was built there, shaped like a baseball bat, glove and ball. KTO says it was put up to mark the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where the Korean team won the baseball gold medal. KTO also lists a memorial hall for the late Lotte Giants pitcher Choi Dong-won (최동원), and says the breakwater and the walking path out to the lighthouse are well kept.
KTO adds that near the white baseball lighthouse there are a yellow and a red one. The red one is called the Seagull Lighthouse and the yellow one the Eel Lighthouse (붕장어 등대). We read that as a small walk with three lighthouses in view, though neither source gives a walking time. The “Eel” name matters for lunch, as the next section shows.
KTO lists the port as open at all times, every day of the year, with parking available. Visit Busan, the city’s official tourism site, says admission is free and gives the address as 2-15, Chiram-ri, Ilgwang-eup, Gijang-gun. Note the spelling: Visit Busan writes “Chiram”, while KTO writes “Chilam”. They are the same place. For questions, KTO gives the Gijang County marine and fisheries office on +82-51-709-4501.
Ilgwang Beach (일광해수욕장)
KTO says Ilgwang Beach is counted as one of the Eight Sights of Gijang, and that its sand curves in a circle from where the Icheon river meets the sea to the village of Hak-ri. KTO also mentions Samseongdae, a spot in the middle of the beach where three Goryeo-era scholars are said to have strolled, and lists nearby sights such as Namsan Beacon Mound and Hwanghakdae.
Visit Busan describes the beach as shallow, with gentle waves, and says it suits families. It adds that jet skiing, wakeboarding and similar sports are offered. Its overview gives the swimming season as 1 July to 31 August, 09:00 to 18:00. In October that means a walk on the sand, not a swim. KTO lists the beach as open at all times, every day of the year, with parking and an information line at +82-51-709-5446. Visit Busan says it is free, that pets are allowed, and that it has an accessible toilet and parking.
Visit Busan’s etiquette notes say swimming, dumping, cooking and camping are banned except in designated places and at set hours, and so are smoking and taking sand. One Visit Busan article says Ilgwang still has a “low-bench culture” and allows barbecue parties on the sand, which seems to clash with the etiquette line. We could not reconcile the two, so please do not plan a barbecue here without checking.
What to Eat: Sea Eel at Chilam
The Eel Lighthouse hints at the local dish. KTO lists two restaurants beside the port where eel is the signature dish. By the coordinates in KTO’s data, both are roughly 200 to 250 metres from the baseball lighthouse in a straight line (our calculation, not a walking distance).
Chilam Ilbeonji Hoetjip (칠암일번지횟집). KTO says it has served sea eel sashimi (붕장어 회) in a 30-year tradition. Its signature items are the sashimi and charcoal-grilled sea eel. KTO also lists mixed sashimi, spicy rockfish stew and a children’s fried rice. To order the sashimi, say 붕장어회 주세요 (bungjangeo-hoe juseyo), meaning “sea eel sashimi, please”. KTO gives the hours as 11:00 to 20:30, with the last order listed as 17:30, which looks odd, so confirm by phone: 0507-1374-5470. It is closed on Mondays and over the Seollal and Chuseok holidays, and parking is available.
Chilam Manjang (칠암만장). KTO lists a charcoal-grilled sea eel set meal (칠암바다장어 숯불구이 정식) as the signature. The two KTO fields disagree on the eel: the menu field says sea eel, while the description focuses on grilled freshwater eel, served in soy or chili-paste flavour, and on pot rice such as abalone with seaweed, and eggplant with minced meat. Ask staff which eel is served. Hours are 11:00 to 20:00, last order 19:00, closed Mondays. KTO says cards are accepted and reservations are possible by phone: 0507-1325-7070.
We have no prices for either place, and we do not know whether either has an English menu. Eel is fish, so if you have allergies or diet rules, ask the staff about ingredients and sauces. We do not make any halal, vegetarian or allergen claims.
Chilam Sagye (칠암사계). If you want something light afterwards, KTO lists this bakery gallery in the fishing village, open 10:00 to 21:00 with cards accepted, and gives salt bread (소금빵) as its signature.
Plan Your Visit: The Donghae Line Route
Visit Busan says the Donghae Line lets you reach Gijang and Ilgwang from downtown Busan within about 30 minutes (we did not verify this on a timetable), which makes this a day trip without a car. It also says the Busan Metro, including the Donghae Line, runs from 05:00 to 23:59, with first and last trains varying by station. Check your station’s last train before you plan dinner.
To the beach. Visit Busan lists a 14-minute walk from Exit 1 of Ilgwang Station (일광역). Another Visit Busan article says 10 minutes, so allow 10 to 15. Buses 188 and 180 stop at the Ilgwang Beach entrance, as do village buses Gijang-gun 2, 3, 8-1 and 9.
To the lighthouse. Visit Busan’s lighthouse page gives this route: Exit 1 of Jwacheon Station (좌천역) on the Donghae Line, then village bus Gijang-gun 8-1, then a 9-minute walk from the stop it spells “Chiram”. Parking is on the street at the port.
Between the two. By the coordinates in KTO’s data, Chilam Port and Ilgwang Beach are about 4.9 kilometres apart in a straight line. Visit Busan lists bus Gijang-gun 8-1 on both pages, but we could not confirm that one bus links them directly, nor how often it runs. Check a map app, or take a taxi.
Tickets and passes. Visit Busan says the 1-, 3- and 30-day Busan Metro passes are not valid on the Donghae Line. If you plan to ride it, see our guide to the Busan Metro and transport cards.
A workable order (our suggestion)
- Take the Donghae Line to Jwacheon Station and head to Chilam Port.
- Walk the breakwater and see the three lighthouses.
- Have lunch at one of the eel restaurants, and avoid Monday.
- Move on to Ilgwang Beach by bus or taxi for a walk on the sand.
- Return to the station in good time for the last train.
This order is our suggestion, not a sourced route, and we have no timings for the legs.
First-Timer Tips
- Do not come on a Monday for lunch. Both eel restaurants are closed on Mondays, per KTO.
- Phone first. Both restaurants list phone numbers, and Ilbeonji’s last-order time looks inconsistent.
- Treat the beach as a walk. The swimming season is 1 July to 31 August, per Visit Busan.
- Check the last train. Times vary by station.
FAQ
Is Chilam Port free to visit?
Yes. Visit Busan lists free admission and KTO lists it as open at all times.
Can I swim at Ilgwang Beach in October?
Visit Busan gives the swimming season as 1 July to 31 August, and says swimming is banned outside designated places and hours. So we would not plan on it.
How do I get to Ilgwang Beach by train?
Take the Donghae Line to Ilgwang Station, leave by Exit 1 and walk. Visit Busan gives 14 minutes on one page and 10 minutes on another.
Are the restaurants open every day?
No. Both close on Mondays, according to KTO.
What We Could Not Confirm
- Prices and English menus at the restaurants and the bakery.
- Ilbeonji’s last order. KTO lists 17:30 against a 20:30 closing time.
- Whether bus Gijang-gun 8-1 runs directly between the port and the beach, and its timetable and fare.
- Walking time from Ilgwang Station. Visit Busan gives both 10 and 14 minutes.
- Barbecue rules on the beach. Two Visit Busan texts seem to conflict.
- Last Donghae Line trains and fares for this stretch.
- How crowded the port is, and the best time of day for photos.
- Whether the memorial hall for Choi Dong-won has set hours. KTO lists it but gives none.
Before You Go
Chilam Port and Ilgwang Beach make an easy east-coast day if you accept a short bus or taxi hop between them. Go on any day but Monday, phone the restaurant if you can, and check the last train. For more of Gijang’s coast, read our guide to Haedong Yonggungsa, Jukseong Church and Daebyeon Port.
We post short first-timer guides on Instagram too: @rolo.koreaguide.
Related guides
- Haedong Yonggungsa and Gijang Coast Guide
- Ahopsan Forest in Gijang
- Busan’s Main Beaches Compared
- Busan Metro for Visitors
Sources
Checked on 2 Oct 2026.
- Korea Tourism Organization, TourAPI (Korean service): Chilam Port (content ID 2775570), Ilgwang Beach (126098), Chilam Ilbeonji Hoetjip (2775556), Chilam Manjang (2848949), Chilam Sagye (2822840). Photographs: KTO, KOGL Type 3 (port, eel set meal) and Type 1 (beach), used unaltered.
- Visit Busan, Ilgwang Beach: https://www.visitbusan.net/en/index.do?menuCd=DOM_000000301001001000&uc_seq=265&lang_cd=en
- Visit Busan, lighthouse tour (Chiram Port Baseball Lighthouse): https://www.visitbusan.net/en/index.do?menuCd=DOM_000000302002001000&uc_seq=1325&lang_cd=en
- Visit Busan, Donghae Line tour: https://www.visitbusan.net/en/index.do?menuCd=DOM_000000302011001000&uc_seq=490&lang_cd=en
- Visit Busan, Preparing for a Trip (Busan Metro hours and pass note): https://www.visitbusan.net/en/index.do?menuCd=DOM_000000303012002000
- Distances: straight-line calculations from the coordinates in the KTO data.
