This week on Jeju: A to Z, Todd Thacker profiles an iconic autumn destination, the popular Sangumburi (산굼부리). This extinct volcanic crater is southeast of Jeju City, and its fields of are known to usher in fall on the island.

The remarkably symmetrical crater of Sangumburi (산굼부리), an extinct volcano to the southeast of Jeju City, is a stunning visitor destination in more ways than one.

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2,000 m in circumference, comparable to Hallasan’s Baeknokdam

Described as a kind of “natural stadium,” its structure is unique in Korea. Almost the diameter of the Baeknokdam (백록담) crater atop Hallasan Mountain, it is roughly 2,000 meters in circumference, 100 meters deep and 600 meters across.

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420 species of plants and animals

Sangumburi crater is a densely packed habitat, home to about 420 species of plants and animals. Given their proximity and interactions, it’s a windfall for scientific research.

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550,000 visited in 2013

Though tourism and the environment usually are at odds, the site in and around the crater is protected from human encroachment. Its unique shape made it possible in 2013 for 550,000 people to walk or wheel up the gentle slope in a matter of minutes, with minimal impact on the environment. It was designated Natural Monument #263 in 1979.

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Breathtaking vistas from the top

Once you make it to the top of the crater, enjoy the fantastic vistas. If it’s a clear day, you can enjoy views of the ocean to the north. Many of the island’s volcanic cones, or oreum, which dot the island also come into view, and of course there is the breathtaking profile of Hallasan Mountain.

Reporter ] Todd Thacker

If you look to the east, even Seongsan Sunrise Peak can be seen to the far side of the island.

Sangumburi isn’t the only place on the island to capture iconic images of Korea’s autumn pampas grass, but it might just be the most picturesque.

Todd Thacker, KCTV