Oceanview pension at Sinsi-Modo, Incheon, right on Sugi Beach

I wanted a day of just staring at the sea and resting, so I looked into pensions near Incheon and this time headed out to Sinsi-Modo. It's not far from Yeongjongdo, but the moment you cross onto the island the whole atmosphere shifts — it felt like a proper mental reset even though it was a short trip.

I first looked into Sindo pensions, then compared places on Sinsi-Modo overall, but since the point of this trip was to rest close to the sea, I went with Poolside Pension, which sits right in front of Sugi Beach.

• Check-in/check-out: 15:00-11:00
• Address: 291-49 Sido-ro 86beon-gil, Bukdo-myeon, Ongjin-gun
• Parking is available, so it's easy to visit by car

Driving in over the Sindo Peace Bridge — no ferry schedule to Sinsi-Modo

There was a time when a trip to Sinsi-Modo meant taking a boat first, but access has gotten a lot easier. Since the Sindo Peace Bridge connecting Yeongjongdo and Sindo opened, you can drive straight in. It's also open to bikes and pedestrians, and there's no toll, so planning an island trip is much simpler than it used to be.

It was also nice not having to time our packing around a ferry schedule when heading to the pension. Pension trips tend to come with a lot of luggage, so being able to drive straight in was definitely less of a hassle. While researching Sindo pensions I also checked out places on Sido, but this time being able to enjoy Sugi Beach up close was the top priority. Location really is Poolside Pension's biggest strength.

Right in front of Sugi Beach

Sugi Beach is right in front of the pension, so there's no need to drive anywhere just to see the sea. You can park at the pension and walk straight to the beach, which makes it easy whether you want to swim or just stroll along the shore.

Sugi Beach is a popular spot for people visiting Sinsi-Modo, and it's long been known as a filming location for the drama Full House. On a trip built around the sea, the distance between your room and the beach matters more than you'd think.

Even a place with a great ocean view can feel a bit lacking if the beach is a long walk away, but here the pension and the beach are close enough that you can pop out for a quick look at the sea and head back to rest, or take an evening walk on the beach and come right back. It's a location that suits people who want to travel at their own pace without rushing.

Ocean views from every room

Poolside Pension advertises an ocean view from every room, which is a real highlight — you can look out at the sea no matter which room you're in. Some pensions near the coast still have rooms with limited views depending on placement, so being able to rest while facing the sea suited this trip perfectly.

Waking up to the sea outside the window, and being able to enjoy the ocean view while just relaxing in the room, meant we didn't have to constantly go out and about. Packed sightseeing itineraries are great sometimes, but this trip was about resting a little more leisurely. Just brewing a cup of coffee and watching the sea was enough to feel like a real getaway.

Duplex rooms for family or friend trips

Poolside Pension also has duplex-style rooms, which looked like a good fit for visiting with family or friends.

Since layouts and capacity vary by room, it's worth checking the specific room you want when booking.

When several people stay together, having some separation of space is more comfortable than everyone being in one room the whole time, and the duplex structure lets everyone rest at their own pace.

It seemed like a good fit for couples wanting a quiet trip watching the sea, as well as for family or friend trips.

The pension is also fairly large overall, so it works for everything from small trips to larger group stays.

Summer means pool and water play

If you're visiting Sinsi-Modo in summer, water play is a must.

Sugi Beach is right by Poolside Pension, and there's also a Sugi Beach water park operating right next to the pension.

With an air slide pool and a kids' pool set up, it looks like a great option for families visiting with children.

Playing in the sea is great, but if you're with young kids, the water park is also a convenient option.

With the pension, the beach, and the water park all clustered close together, it seems like a solid destination for families who don't want the pressure of a long-distance summer vacation.

Best of all, you can play in the water and come right back to the room to shower and rest.

Barbecue — a must for any pension trip

When you're staying at a pension, dinner has to be barbecue.

Poolside Pension has barbecue facilities, so you can handle dinner right at the pension.

The barbecue spot varies a bit by room type — some rooms use their own terrace, others use the first-floor barbecue terrace.

You can bring your own meat and sides to grill yourself before the trip, or just order one of the pension's barbecue sets.

Spend the day at the beach, then come back to the pension for barbecue in the evening to close out the day — that's the real pension-trip vibe.

It's especially nice to spend a relaxed evening like this so close to the sea.

Jadam Chicken and the unmanned ramen machine on the first floor

On any trip, you sometimes suddenly need something small like a drink. The first floor has Jadam Chicken and a restaurant, so you can get simple drinks, alcohol, chicken, and even breakfast there.

There's also an unmanned ramen machine.

If you need a quick late-night snack or run out of drinks, between the unmanned ramen machine and the variety of food at Jadam Chicken, there's no real need to drive far anywhere.

Walking the Sugi coastal trail

Resting at the pension and watching the sea is great, but if the weather's good, I'd also recommend a slow walk around the area.

There are nice spots for a coastal walk around Sugi Beach, and Sinsi-Modo as a whole feels better suited to slowly taking things in rather than rushing between sights.

You can wander around before check-in or take a walk after checking out the next day. On a cool day, just walking with the sea breeze on your face is enough to lift your mood. Being able to take in that quiet atmosphere and ocean scenery, hard to find in the city, made this a great time to feel the charm of Sinsi-Modo.

Planning a one-night, two-day Sinsi-Modo itinerary

Another advantage of Sinsi-Modo is that you can explore Sindo, Sido, and Modo all together. So on a one-night trip, you could tour Sindo and Modo on the first day and check into the pension near Sugi Beach afterward, or spend the first day relaxing at the pension and explore the islands the next day. There's no fixed route you have to follow — you can just move with the weather and your mood, which made the whole trip feel easier.

Being able to drive straight into Sindo via the Sindo Peace Bridge has made getting around much easier than before.

With less hassle around hauling luggage onto a ferry, planning a short pension trip nearby feels much lighter. Coming from Seoul or Gyeonggi, just passing through Yeongjongdo into Sindo already gives you a change of scenery.

What to look for when choosing a place to stay on Sinsi-Modo

Looking for accommodation on Sinsi-Modo naturally leads you to compare Sindo and Sido pensions as well. Room type and amenities matter, but if the goal is to enjoy the sea up close like this trip, location is worth checking first. If you're planning to spend a lot of time at Sugi Beach specifically, being right in front of it at Poolside Pension is genuinely convenient.

Since the point of this trip was to rest while looking at the sea up close, I chose Poolside Pension, and having the pension and beach so close together made everything easier to move around. Watching the sea in the morning, spending the day at the beach, and having barbecue at the pension in the evening let the day unfold at a relaxed pace.

Having Sugi Beach right in front is the biggest advantage, and having an ocean view from every room was a nice bonus too. Being able to drive over the Sindo Peace Bridge from Yeongjongdo has also made planning a Sinsi-Modo trip much easier than before.

A long-distance trip can feel like a lot, but this is a great place for a light getaway when you just want a day or two of rest by the sea. Walking the beach out front, enjoying the ocean view from the room, and finishing the day with barbecue — if you're looking for that kind of unhurried pension trip, Poolside Pension on Sinsi-Modo is worth a look.