travel in Busan 🌊 | Blue Line, mi Choi-ae coreano 🍲 y las luces de Gwangalli 🌉✨
They say that Korea is experienced differently in each city Today, I’m taking you on a journey that is not just touristy It’s a trip to one of my favorite places… A place where the sea embraces you from every corner… Everything starts in Haeundae A place where the buildings touch the sky, and the sea… touches your soul Here, it’s easy to lose track of time You can stroll through the local market, try a Korean hot dog filled with seeds and cheese… or simply walk through the market while breathing in the ocean breeze Here, you might encounter crabs the size of your face 🦀 or even… live octopuses moving on the plate 🐙 During certain days of the year, the beach turns into a gallery: The Haeundae Sand Festival decorates the coast with stunning sculptures made of sand Each one more creative than the last But if you follow the coast, you arrive at Songjeong Beach A little quieter, more relaxed With food trucks selling coffee, Korean toast, and local snacks Many international tourists don’t know it, but Koreans truly appreciate it Here, you won’t see large hotels, but cozy cafes by the sea, and it’s one of the few places where you can learn to surf in Korea And the best part is that from here, the Blue Line Park route begins, that colorful train that runs along the entire coast, passing through Cheonsapo and reaching Haeundae This train departs from Songjeong, It winds along the ocean, bordering cliffs, crossing hidden cafes and coves that aren’t on any tourist map From Cheonsapo, you can experience one of the most incredible attractions in the park: the Sky Capsules Small, private, floating capsules that go suspended on an elevated track over the sea You sit looking out at the ocean Just you, the breeze, and beautiful views One of its prettiest spots is Cheonsapo, a small coastal village where time feels like it has stopped A glass-bottomed bridge that seems to float over the ocean Would you dare to walk on it? 😉 It’s like walking in the air A little scary. This place is one of those that doesn’t always appear in tourist guides, but once you experience it, it stays in your memory forever Koreans themselves come here to tour.
To disconnect To surf. To eat. To live And now, let me introduce my Choi-ae (최애 in Korean) Yes, my Choi-ae, my ultimate favorite from Korea is… Dwaeji-gukbap – 돼지국밥. A pork soup with rice, typical of Busan and for me, the most delicious in the country It always comes accompanied by what Koreans call banchan Kkakdugi (깍두기): radish kimchi, thin noodles (optional), Buchu (부추): Korean chives, raw onion, raw garlic, and kimchi (김치) The onion… I eat it raw, like a good foreigner-Koreanized, dipped in ssamjang and straight to the mouth The menu also included sundae, a type of Korean blood sausage My pork soup comes boiling You can add a red sauce that many foreigners think is spicy… but it’s not spicy! And then there are the salty little shrimp For me, every spoonful is a hug And that’s why… I could eat gukbap every day. Literally. And now, yes… the most awaited moment has arrived Eating it is not just about putting the spoon in. No. It’s a ritual The name ‘dwaeji-gukbap’ comes from three very simple Korean words: ‘guk’ (국) which means soup, ‘bap’ (밥) which means rice, and ‘dwaeji’ (돼지) which means pig So, literally, dwaeji-gukbap means: In fact… that day I didn’t just eat gukbap once I went to another restaurant at night! 🤭 And you can sit on a regular chair… or on the floor, as is traditionally done in Korea This place had self-service: You choose your own banchan Onion, garlic, buchu (which becomes the star in the soup), gochu (고추), Kkakdugi (깍두기), kimchi (김치), and Ssamjang (쌈장) And there is also the mysterious red sauce. It’s not spicy The salty little shrimp. If you don’t like them, you can add salt This menu also included makguksu and sundae Now my favorite part begins: transforming the soup into MY soup I add a pinch of the salty little shrimp I take a teaspoon of the non-spicy red sauce It just adds flavor. It just adds flavor, color, and soul I gently stir it in the broth This dish not only nourishes me It accompanies me. It represents me. That’s why it’s my Choi-ae And that’s why I’m sharing it with you today. 💙 The famous sundae And no, it’s not ice cream It’s pig intestine stuffed with noodles, rice, and blood The makguksu are cold noodles served in ice water I’m not a fan of those that float in ice… so I took them out, set them aside… and problem solved! That’s how eating in Korea is: with freedom, flavor, and heart! 💙 And as it couldn’t be missing, this day in Gwangalli, the most famous postcard of Busan The Gwangan Bridge, also called Diamond Bridge, lights up every night like a jewel over the water “If you went to Busan, you have to have your photo in Gwangalli.” Here people take the typical photos with the bridge in the background Oh, and if you come on the right date… get ready for one of the most impressive shows in Korea: the Busan Fireworks Festival Thousands of people gather here every year to see how the sky of Gwangalli explodes in lights. It’s pure excitement And yes… I have come for three consecutive years And if God wills, I will be here this year too 💙 Gwangalli is not just a place to see It’s a place to feel. Do you have plans to travel to Busan? I promise you it’s not just a city, it’s a sensation And if you let it envelop you, you won’t want to leave. 💙
¿Tienes planes de viajar a Busan?
Entonces guarda este video, porque aquí no solo te muestro lugares turísticos…
te comparto los rincones reales, locales, sabrosos y tranquilos que hacen de esta ciudad costera algo inolvidable.
En este recorrido te llevo a:
🚋 Blue Line Park – un tren costero que atraviesa la ciudad bordeando el mar. Desde Songjeong hasta Cheonsapo, y terminando en Haeundae, esta línea es perfecta para descubrir Busan a un ritmo lento, con vistas que parecen pintadas.
🌅 Cheonsapo Skywalk – un puente de cristal suspendido sobre el mar. Perfecto para quienes buscan un momento de silencio… o un poco de vértigo con vista al océano.
🏖️ Haeundae Beach – la playa más famosa de Corea. Aquí encontrarás mariscos frescos (¡incluso pulpos vivos!), mercados locales y un ambiente animado todo el año.
Cada primavera, se celebra aquí el Festival de Esculturas de Arena, donde artistas transforman la playa en una galería gigantesca al aire libre.
🎆 Gwangalli Beach – la joya de la noche en Busan. Desde aquí puedes ver el famoso puente Gwangan iluminado, y si vienes en otoño, no te puedes perder el Festival de Fuegos Artificiales de Busan, que se celebra entre septiembre y octubre y transforma el cielo en un espectáculo mágico sobre el mar.
🍲 Y claro, mi Choi-ae coreano: 돼지국밥 (dwaeji-gukbap)
¿Qué es “Choi-ae”?
Es una palabra coreana que significa “mi favorito máximo”.
Y el mío… es esta sopa de cerdo con arroz, típica de Busan.
En este video te muestro cómo la preparo yo misma cuando llega a la mesa, con los ingredientes que me han enseñado aquí, como una extranjera cada vez más coreanizada 🤭
💬 Déjame en los comentarios cuál sería tu Choi-ae si vinieras a Corea…
¿Una playa, un tren, o un plato lleno de sabor?