There’s loads to do within the metropolis of Taipei itself, however if you’re trying to discover just a little additional afield, one simple day journey choice is to move as much as Taiwan‘s North Coast in New Taipei Metropolis. One of many extra fashionable issues to do on Taiwan’s North Coast is to go to Yehliu, a world-famous geological website, however I assumed I’d introduce you to another cool issues to do within the Wanli 萬里 district, from coastal sights like paragliding over a seaside and consuming tremendous contemporary seafood to exploring an deserted UFO village.
Searching for extra day journeys from Taipei? Take a look at close by Jinshan 金山 which has a pleasant outdated city space and the Juming Museum, or head in the direction of Keelung for extra coastal sights and Miaokou Evening Market. Yilan within the Northeast can also be an incredible simple day journey from Taipei.
Admire rocks at Yehliu Geopark 野柳地質公園
Yehliu Geopark 野柳地質公園 is without doubt one of the hottest vacationer sights alongside Taiwan’s North Coast. It’s a protracted cape of about 1700m protruding out into the ocean and well-known for its geological options and curiously formed rocks.
I really visited Yehliu method again in 2007 on my grad journey in Taiwan and revisited it once more on my Profession Break journey whereas exploring the North Coast. Vacationer crowds apart, it’s a very stunning scenic place and the rock formations are fairly uncommon and have been given fairly descriptive names. Convey a cap and sun shades as it might get fairly scorching and there’s hardly any shade in any respect.
I walked the total size of the cape all the way in which to the lighthouse statement deck proper on the finish. The pathways are pretty nicely paved however you’re going uphill so it’s just a little tiring however not too unhealthy. A lot of the vacationers keep across the decrease ranges so it’s good to get away from the crowds for a bit.
Probably the most well-known rock right here is the Queen’s Head Rock 女王頭, and from the precise angle it actually does seem like the silhouette of a queen’s head. Who is aware of how lengthy it’ll wait for although – specialists are fearful that the rock would possibly break off at its slender ‘neck’ some day from weathering.
I spent about 2 hours exploring Yehliu. Attempt to discover an off peak time to go to because it is without doubt one of the extra fashionable vacationer issues to do round Taipei.
Yehliu Geopark is positioned in Wanli [Google Maps]. Opening hours from 8am – 5pm. Tickets for adults value 120NTD.
Eat Wanli crab at Guihou Fish Market 龜吼漁夫市集
A brief distance away from Yehliu is Guihou Fish Market 龜吼漁夫市集, and that is apparently the place to go to eat Wanli crab. Wanli is a major crab fishing space, and peak crab season occurs in Autumn (Look out for a significant crab competition that occurs in October), however you may get crab right here any time of the yr.
Wanli crabs encompass three forms of crab – Three Spot Crab (which has three apparent black dots on its shell), Flower crab (with a patterned shell) and Stone Crab and also you’ll discover them available on the market right here. Apart from a moist market the place you should purchase all method of seafood, there’s additionally a meals centre the place you may take pleasure in your crabs on website. Taiwan Panorama has an attention-grabbing article about how the native affiliation branded Wanli Crabs and made it a neighborhood specialty.
I visited at a barely bizarre time in between meals so I didn’t handle to sit down down for a crab meal, although my hosts did purchase some 3-spot crab to cook dinner for dinner that evening. Right here’s a fairly good account of consuming Wanli crabs by Locations and Meals you can try. Hopefully I can return someday for some scrumptious seafood!
The meals stalls are sometimes open from round 10am – 7pm but it surely will depend on every stall. See retailer particulars at Wanli Crab.
Paraglide over Feicuiwan seaside 翡翠灣海灘
Positioned east of Yehliu, you may admire the Inexperienced Bay or Feicuiwan Seashore 翡翠灣海灘 view right here from up excessive by tandem paragliding.
Mustang Paragliding Membership 野馬飛行傘俱樂部 often does brief paragliding flights over Inexperienced Bay and the encompassing hills.
Enjoyable reality: they used to take off from the hills however these days they do a seaside take-off and touchdown – you might be hooked as much as a jetski to provide you some raise and take off over the ocean. Flights normally take about 10 minutes altogether relying on the wind situations.
My teacher was a pleasant younger native man known as Ah Zhe who lived in close by Keelung who had a pleasant chitchat with me and identified far they might fly on their very own in addition to some landmarks across the space. As a part of the expertise, you might be loaned a GoPro digital camera to seize your complete flight and given the 16GB SD card inside it on the finish.
You may fly any time of the yr so long as it’s not raining and the winds aren’t too loopy, however summer season is normally the most effective time as a result of the winds are probably the most regular.
Mustang Paragliding Membership 野馬飛行傘俱樂部 are finest contacted by way of Fb Messenger or Whatsapp – drop them a word to search out out which dates they plan to fly, and on the morning of the day to see whether or not the climate situations on that day are optimum for flying. Count on cancellations if the winds are too robust or there’s rain! A flight prices 2,000 NTD and also you solely register and pay on the spot at Inexperienced Bay / Feicuiwan Seashore – take a queue quantity and pay ASAP so that you don’t have to attend for too lengthy because it’s 1st come 1st serve.
Discover the deserted Wanli UFO village
One thing else you are able to do whereas at Inexperienced Bay Seashore is to discover one thing the locals name the Wanli UFO Village. This a group of bizarre trying flying saucer and rounded-box homes alongside Riguang Highway 日光路, straight behind Inexperienced Bay Seashore. I may see them from the air whereas paragliding and popped over to test them out after.
The spherical flying saucer like homes are known as Futuro Homes, whereas the squarish ones with rounded corners are known as Venturo Homes. They have been conceived by a Finnish architect Matti Suuronen within the late Sixties, and have been apparently fairly fashionable for a couple of years earlier than an oil disaster within the 70s made manufacturing prices tremendous costly in order that they fell out of favour.
Apparently a wealthy businessman imported a number of of those pods to Wanli with the intention of organising a elaborate seaside resort, however sadly the homes have been badly hit by the intense typhoons within the day and finally deserted. You would possibly discover that there are a couple of models which have been cleaned up and inhabited in the present day although I truthfully am undecided how authorized that’s, however I’d hold a low profile regardless and never disturb the residents.
Because the place is usually deserted, you may wander round and poke about. It’s a well-liked place for some cool Instagram photographs for positive. The Futuro inside really regarded fairly cosy, although all the things is rounded and you don’t have any corners. The inside I noticed had half the home made out of a curved front room and a kitchen-bar, with the opposite half is a bed room and a rest room. The Futuro pods are raised above floor and a few had stone benches straight beneath the pods.
I first wrote about paragliding and exploring the UFO village on this article about issues to do in Taipei in the course of the summer season.
How one can get to Wanli
Wanli is part of New Taipei Metropolis alongside Taiwan’s North Coast positioned between Jinshan and Keelung, roughly 50 minutes away by driving from Taipei Metropolis. I took buses to discover this space by myself however if you’re tight on time or have individuals to separate the associated fee with, think about hiring a taxi for the day to get round.
I’d advocate doing a full day journey exploring Wanli alongside Jinshan since they’re proper subsequent to one another, after which ending the day without work in Keelung Metropolis’s Miaokou evening market earlier than heading again to Taipei.
By bus from taipei
Bus cease at Yehliu [google maps] or Inexperienced Bay / Feicuiwan cease 翡翠灣 [google maps]
- Bus 1815: from Kuokuang bus terminal at Taipei Station East Gate (positioned on the east facet of Taipei Most important Station) to Jinshan – stops at Yehliu and Inexperienced Bay. That is your quickest choice as you go direct from Taipei Metropolis to Jinshan in about 1.5 hours.
- Bus 862: from Tamshui MRT Station 捷運淡水站 to Keelung Prepare Station – stops at Yehliu and Inexperienced Bay [Taipei e-bus route]. This can be a longer route that takes round 2 hours because it runs alongside the entire north coast. You would additionally take this bus if you’re coming from Keelung as a substitute.
Bus 716 Crown Northern Coast Shuttle Bus: From Tamshui/Danshui 捷運淡水站 to Yehliu (doesn’t go to Inexperienced Bay). This vacationer shuttle leaves each hour from 8am to 3pm and passes by way of different fashionable vacationer spots like Fugui Lighthouse, Laomei Inexperienced Reef, Jinshan and the Juming Museum. You need to use Easycard like regular, or purchase a 1-day bus cross for 160NTD for limitless hop on and off for the day – helpful in the event you plan to cease at a couple of spot. Extra data right here. It ought to take about 1.5 hours.
Different buses
- Bus 790: from Jinshan Nanshih 金山(南勢) to Keelung Prepare Station – stops at Yehliu and Inexperienced Bay [Taipei e-bus route]
- Bus 953: from Jinshan Nanshih to Taipei Da’an – stops at Yehliu and Inexperienced bay [Taipei e-bus route]
This bus information by North Coast and Guanshan Nationwide Scenic Space is kind of a helpful overview of the varied bus choices.
Searching for extra cool issues to do close to Taipei? Take a look at these posts or see extra guides for Taiwan’s North Coast.
