Moon Garden · Biwon · Sani Garden · 4est Arboretum
Four gardens in Haenam-gun, each with its own character and charm
If the blazing colors of autumn mountains and fields feel too fleeting, a garden may be the better destination this fall. Flowers and trees shifting through their seasonal palette, grass trembling in the breeze, and quiet woodland paths all offer the kind of unhurried pause that daily life rarely allows. Haenam-gun, in South Jeolla Province, is home to four gardens that could hardly be more different from one another — a lakeside retreat framed by distant peaks, an intimate secret garden tucked into terraced hillsides, a sweeping botanical park where nature meets contemporary art, and an arboretum ablaze with autumn wildflowers. Each rewards a slow walk and lingers in the memory long after the visit.
Moon Garden, where mountains and a lake become part of the scenery
Nestled in Gyegok-myeon, Haenam-gun, Moon Garden was carved out of what had once been neglected fields and orchards. The owner spent years transforming the land into a cafe and garden.
Across roughly 10,000 square meters, more than 300 species of trees and flowering plants shift the landscape with every season. Visitors can stroll among carefully tended trees and flowers, then settle into one of the rest spots scattered throughout for a quiet cup of tea.
The garden's greatest draw may be what lies just beyond its borders: the Oryuje Reservoir, which abuts the property, and the distant silhouette of Heukseoksan. Migratory birds flock to the reservoir throughout the year, while the mountain itself turns dark in the rain and white under snow, blending seamlessly into the garden as if it were always part of the design. The effect is a textbook example of "chakyeong" — the traditional practice of borrowing the surrounding landscape to extend a garden's visual reach.
After sunset, lights come on across the grounds, giving the garden a romantic atmosphere quite different from its daytime character and making it a popular spot for photographs. Moon Garden is registered as South Jeolla Province's 18th private garden and Haenam-gun's first, a distinction that has helped put the county on the map for garden tourism. Every Saturday in October, the garden hosts an autumn concert at 2 p.m., adding live music to the pleasure of an evening walk.
(64 Oryugol-gil, Gyegok-myeon, Haenam-gun)
An invitation to a secret garden — Biwon
Biwon stands out for its intricate layout and delicate sense of composition. The garden took first prize at the 2024 South Jeolla Province Beautiful Garden Contest.
Starting in 2017, the owner traveled the country to source trees personally, planting and tending each one to fill a 16,529-square-meter space in an old village on the slopes of Duryunsan. The garden follows the natural contours of the old terraced rice paddies that once covered the hillside, so every few steps reveal a new themed enclosure — lending the place the genuinely secretive feel its name promises.
Highlights include the Hanul Garden, anchored by a 100-year-old azalea; the Hydrangea and Camellia Garden, where the two species grow side by side; and a starlight observation deck with an open view across the Haenam plains. Walking slowly from one section to the next, visitors find the garden offers a natural, unhurried sense of rest.
Biwon is registered as South Jeolla Province's 28th private garden — the second in Haenam-gun to earn the designation. On Saturday, the Haenam Culture and Tourism Foundation will host a "Haemyeong Picnic" (a leisurely outdoor gathering program) at the garden, welcoming travelers looking to spend a relaxed afternoon among the autumn plantings.
(171 Gajae-gil, Samsan-myeon, Haenam-gun)
When a mountain becomes a garden — Sani Garden
Sani Garden, located in Guseong-ri, Sani-myeon, within the Solaseado enterprise city development in Haenam-gun, is South Jeolla Province's first privately established botanical garden. Spanning 528,000 square meters — the largest of its kind in the country — it makes good on its name: here, the mountain itself becomes the garden.
The grounds are organized around six themed zones. A welcome garden lines a flower-bordered path evoking the sea; a children's play garden invites free imagination; a hilltop plaza greets visitors with a towering human-shaped sculpture; and a storybook garden unfolds around the world of "The Little Prince." More than 500 plant species are woven together with artworks placed throughout, completing a landscape where nature and art are inseparable.
Beyond the botanical trails, the site includes an art gallery, a cafe and eco-friendly play facilities, making it equally suited to families and to travelers drawn by art or nature. Seasonal events, guided tours and a range of education programs ensure there is always more to the visit than simply walking through.
The "2026 Sani Garden Garden Festa" runs Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's program includes a sweet-potato digging experience, a children's painting competition and a completion ceremony for an ESG garden school. On Sunday, a marathon will take runners through the garden and across the Solaseado Bridge, offering a different way to take in the surroundings. A "Haemyeong Picnic" organized by the Haenam Culture and Tourism Foundation is also scheduled for Oct. 31.
(664 Guseong-ri, Sani-myeon, Haenam-gun)
A fairytale world of purple blooms — 4est Arboretum
4est Arboretum, in Bongdong village, Hyeonsan-myeon, Haenam-gun, spreads more than 1,400 plant species across a forested expanse. Registered in 2019 as Haenam-gun's first private arboretum, it brings together small themed gardens drawn from Eastern and Western philosophical ideals, exploring the meeting point of the humanities and the natural world.
The owner, who studied botany, has shaped the arboretum into more than a place for appreciating plants — it also serves as a center for conserving and studying biological resources. The Korea Forest Service has designated it a forest life resource management institution, and the Korea National Arboretum has recognized it as a conservation site for rare and endemic plant species, with active programs for collecting, propagating and preserving them.
October is when the arboretum truly comes into its own. The country's largest colony of Aster yomena — a native autumn wildflower — blooms alongside pink muhly grass, pampas grass, kochia and panicle hydrangea, filling the grounds with the textures and colors that define the season. The flower-lined paths through the green forest make for a deeply satisfying walk, and the photogenic spots scattered throughout are ideal for capturing an autumn memory.
The Haenam Culture and Tourism Foundation will hold a "Haemyeong Picnic" at the arboretum on Oct. 24. With autumn flowers at their peak, it is a rare chance to sit quietly in the forest, breathe in the season and step away from the pace of everyday life.
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