Jangho Port (장호항) is a small harbor and cove in Samcheok, on the east coast of Gangwon Province, and it is one of the clearest places to swim and snorkel with kids on the Korean mainland. We spent a morning there with our two elementary-school kids in early June 2026, as part of a day trip from Hanam along the Samcheok coast. This post covers Jangho Beach with kids: the rental platforms, the life jackets, the clear canoe prices on the ticket board, how cold the water was, and what our kids found in the shallows.
- Name: Jangho Port and the Jangho experience zone (장호항 / 장호체험장)
- Where: Jangho-ri, Geundeok-myeon, Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do (Naver Map)
- Visited: early June 2026, morning to early afternoon
- Platform: 30,000 won for a shaded wooden platform for the day
- Clear canoe (board price): 25,000 won for 2 people, 35,000 for 3, 44,000 for 4, 60,000 for 5; 30 minutes
- Experience zone hours: 09:00 to 18:00 (ticket board)
- Age fit: good for our two elementary-school kids in rented life jackets
- Info checked: September 2026
The experience zone and the platforms
Next to the harbor there is a managed area called the Jangho experience zone (장호체험장), with a ticket booth, a roped swimming and snorkeling area, and rows of raised wooden platforms under shade cloth. The platforms are called pyeongsang (평상), and we rented one for 30,000 won for the day. It became our base: a shaded place to leave bags, eat, dry off and warm up. There is not much natural shade on the rocks, so for a family staying more than an hour or two, the platform is worth it.
The ticket board lists the clear canoes by size: 25,000 won for two people, 35,000 for three, 44,000 for four and 60,000 for five, each for 30 minutes. The experience zone runs from 09:00 to 18:00. Snorkel sets and life jackets are also rented from the booth. We did not take a canoe this time, because the kids were happy in the shallows with a net, but it is the activity Jangho is best known for.
Life jackets for the kids
We rented life jackets for both kids and they wore them the whole time they were in the water. The swimming area is roped off, but the bottom is uneven, the rocks are slippery, and the water is deeper in places than it looks because it is so clear. A life jacket does not replace watching your kids, and one of us was always in or at the edge of the water with them. Our daughter is not a strong swimmer, and the vest let her move around on her own instead of holding onto an adult.
The water was cold at first
The water at Jangho is very clear, and in early June it was also cold. When we first arrived, the kids went in up to their ankles and came straight back out. We spent the first part of the morning on the platform and poking around the rocks, and the kids only settled into the water later in the morning, once the sun had been on the cove for a while. If you go early in the season, plan for that and bring warm layers for between swims.
Nets, fish and sea squirts
Once they were in, the clear water was the whole show. Standing knee deep, you can see the bottom and small fish moving around your feet. The kids took a cheap net out and hunted along the rocks inside the rope. They did not catch much in the way of fish, but our son found orange sea squirts (멍게, meongge) on the rocks and carried them back to show us. Everything went back into the water afterwards.
Lunch on the platform
Lunch was simple. We had brought bread from home, and we bought yukgaejang cup ramen near the cove and ate it on the platform. After a cold morning in the water, hot noodles went down very well with the kids. There are more snacks and small restaurants along the harbor if you do not bring food.
The cable car above the cove
The Samcheok Marine Cable Car (삼척해상케이블카) runs over the water right above Jangho, so gondolas pass overhead while you swim. It makes Jangho feel less like a hidden cove and more like a small resort, but our kids enjoyed watching the cabins go by. We did not ride it this time. If you only have half a day, the cove in the morning and the cable car afterwards would fit well together.
The rest of our Samcheok day
Jangho was one of three stops on the same stretch of coast that day, all within a short drive of each other. The others were Munam Beach, where the kids played in the waves and picked up shells, and the Chogok Candlestick Rock Trail, a boardwalk along the cliffs. Samcheok is about three hours by car from our home in Hanam, so doing several stops in one day made the drive worth it.
Korean words that help at Jangho
- 장호항 (Jangho-hang): Jangho Port
- 체험장 (cheheomjang): the experience zone
- 평상 (pyeongsang): raised wooden platform for rent
- 투명카누 (tumyeong kanu): clear canoe
- 스노클링 (seunokeulling): snorkeling
- 구명조끼 (gumyeong jokki): life jacket
- 멍게 (meongge): sea squirt
- 매표소 (maepyoso): ticket booth
Questions parents ask
Can you snorkel at Jangho Beach with kids?
Yes. There is a roped snorkeling area, and snorkel sets and life jackets are rented at the booth. Our kids mostly used a net in the shallows.
How much is the clear canoe at Jangho?
The board at the booth listed 25,000 won for two people up to 60,000 won for five, for 30 minutes.
Is the water warm in June?
Not in the morning. It was cold enough that our kids waited until later in the morning to swim.
Tips for Jangho Beach with kids
- Rent a platform: shade and a base make a long stay much easier.
- Put kids in life jackets: the rocks are slippery and the depth changes.
- Bring water shoes: the rocks around the cove are sharp.
- Expect cold water early in the season: bring warm layers.
- Pack a net: the clear shallows are full of things to look at.
- Sort tickets in one go: platforms, canoes and gear are all at the same booth.
Would we go back?
Yes. The water at Jangho is clearer than anything our kids had swum in near Seoul, and a platform, two life jackets and a net kept them busy for hours. Next time we would try a clear canoe and the cable car. Our rating: 4.3 / 5.