Page 200 - Volcano and Geothermal Tourism

Jeju: South Korea’s Premier Island Geotourism Destination 177

Columnar-jointed lava at Daepodong The current status of
Volcanic rocks formed by cooling of hot lavas geotourism on Jeju
commonly have cooling joints, which are typically
expressed as vertical columnar jointing. The best In its current form, geotourism is a type of mass
exposures of columnar-jointed lavas in Jeju Island tourism on Jeju Island. A number of tour
are found along the coast of Daepodong where companies off-load tourists to favoured
dark grey trachybasalt lava crops out for about geotourism sites regularly throughout the day.
2km (Figure 11.8). The joint systems in this area Such high numbers of visitors come to see the
are mostly six-sided, but there are also some four- sites that the paved walkways are atypically wide
sided to seven-sided joints (Koh et al, 2005). The by Western standards and site entrances often
site is well-fitted for tourism with parking, rest park-like in their immaculate landscaping and
rooms, paved walkways, boardwalks and a small maintenance.
food kiosk. Visitors come to not only admire the With the 2007 listing of the Jeju Volcanic
striking honeycomb-like columnar joints, but also Island and Lava Tubes as Korea’s first natural area
the outstanding coastal views from the wooden inscribed onto UNESCO’s World Heritage list,
boardwalks and pathways. Unusual outdoor awareness about Jeju’s unique geologic features,
sculpture provides unique photo-taking and subsequently its geotourism, has increased
opportunities. Guided tours are available upon significantly. While the growth rate in the number
request. of tourists to the island is holding relatively

Figure 11.8 Columnar-jointed trachybasalt lava at Daepodong, showing well-developed colonnade (lava columns) in the
lower part overlain by entablature (chaotic upper part)

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