The east coast of Taiwan is a sharp and welcome contrast to the rest of the country. With only 10% of the population living on this thin strip of land between the mountains and the sea, the east coast is a perfect place for cycling. Riding from Taipei in the north to Kenting on the southern tip is possible, but the most rideable section is between Hualien and Taidong.

This route is about 180km long on a rolling, well-kept highway. The road is narrow in parts but during the week traffic is quite light. There are plenty of places to stop for a bite but accommodation is a bit spread out. Learn to read the Mandarin characters for “min su”, meaning homestay. These are cheap family run guesthouses and they dot the coast.

The ocean is visible for most of the route so bring your camera because there are plenty of picture worthy vistas. With cycle touring catching on in Taiwan, you are likely to meet lots of enthusiastic local cyclists along the way.

Written by  chris.

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Bike on rail?

Dear Chris,

Great to find your article. I'm planning a short trip to the east coast with my bike, and was wondering if you started from another city before traversing the east coast highways. If so, did you transport your bike by rail? And if so, was the process easy?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

YMC

 

Question posted 19th September 2009 by YMC47.

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