Songdowon Beach, three kilometres northwest of Wonsan's city centre, is a long stretch of white sand backed by a thick belt of pine trees. It has been the main coastal resort for Wonsan residents and visiting officials since the 1960s, and the Soviet-era sanatorium complex behind the beach is one of the more surreal architectural environments in North Korea.
Most visitors see Songdowon as part of a standard Wonsan tour itinerary — a swim if the season is right, a walk along the beach, a look at the old hotel. The beach itself is genuinely pleasant: calm water, white sand, the pine forest behind creating shade and scent. North Koreans on holiday at Songdowon are visibly relaxed in a way that is less common in Pyongyang.