Manseongri Black Sand Beach

After passing Marae Tunnel from Yeosu Expo, you can see a beach with quality black sand. It is the Black Sand Beach called Manseongri Beach. The reason this beach is the only one with black sand among many beaches in Yeosu-si is because of its unique topography, where the sand and pebbles contain a high amount of iron.

The Black Sand Beach is famous for its hot sand bath, rather than sea bath. It is said that, if you take a sand bath by covering yourself with black sand and pebbles, pleasant warmth heats your body, and far-infrared rays coming out from the black sand containing iron produce a positive effect on the body.

On April 20th of the lunar calendar every year, an event called “The Day When Black Sand Open Eyes” is held, which originated from a folk tradition that has been passed onto villages around here since ancient times. As the hot geothermal heat accumulates deep in the sand and rises above the sand, it is good for the body to take a sand bath around this time. People from all over the country come to experience this heat, so the venue becomes incredibly crowded on the day of the event.

Another reason why the sand on the Black Sand Beach is particularly great to take a sand bath in is that the sand grains here are about four to six times thicker than regular sand grains so they have a high degree of conduction of sunlight. That’s how it can deliver well the geothermal heat coming from below and the sunlight coming from above. The sand grains are too thick to play with or build a sand castle out of but they are perfect for you to bathe in.