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We sit right on Highway 11, the road that runs the length of Taiwan’s east coast. Turn right and you head towards Taitung city; turn left and the coast gets emptier all the way to Hualien. All times below are approximate driving times from the guesthouse.
South — towards Donghe and Dulan
| Place | Drive | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Jinzun Harbour | 5 min | Taiwan’s only land-tied island still forming. Quiet breakwater, good for watching the sea |
| Donghe | 10 min | Famous for its steamed buns. The old Japanese-era arch bridge is worth a stop, and you can wade in the river below |
| Dengxian Bridge & Taiyuan Valley | 15 min | Troops of Formosan macaques hang around the bridge; the road inland follows a river gorge |
| Dulan (Xindong Sugar Factory) | 25 min | A disused sugar mill turned arts village. Live music most weekends |
| Water Running Upward | 30 min | A well-known optical illusion — the water appears to flow uphill |
| Jialulan | 35 min | Driftwood sculptures on a grassy headland. Lovely in the late afternoon |
| Xiaoyeliu & Fugang Harbour | 40 min | Strange eroded rock formations. Fugang is where boats leave for Green Island and Orchid Island |
| Taitung city | 1 hour | For supplies, a proper meal, or the night market |
North — towards Chenggong and Changbin
| Place | Drive | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Torik Beach & East Coast Visitor Centre | 15 min | At low tide the wet sand mirrors the sky. The visitor centre is a good first stop for maps and current conditions |
| Chenggong & Xingang Harbour | 20 min | The largest fishing harbour on the east coast. The fish auction runs at noon, and you can eat the morning’s catch right beside it |
| Sanxiantai & Pisirian | 25 min | The eight-arched footbridge out to the island is the postcard shot of this coast, and one of the first places in Taiwan to catch the sunrise. Pisirian, the Amis village next door, means “place where goats are herded” |
| Shi Yusan (Stone Umbrella) | 30 min | A balanced rock — a boulder resting on a slender eroded pillar |
| Wushibi Harbour | 40 min | A tiny working harbour with almost no visitors |
| Jingang Boulevard, Changbin | 50 min | A dead-straight farm road through rice paddies, pointing at the sea |
| Baxiandong Caves | 55 min | Sea caves up a cliff face, and the site of the Palaeolithic Changbin culture — the oldest known human occupation in Taiwan |
Inland — over the Coastal Mountain Range
| Place | Drive | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Xiaoma Tunnel | 5 min | Just up the road from us. A short Japanese-era tunnel, barely 230 metres, but atmospheric |
| Taiyuan Valley | 20 min | A gorge cut by the Mawuku river, with rice terraces along the way |
| Yuchang Highway to Yuli | 1 hr 10 min | 16 km of road and a 2.6 km tunnel — the only highway crossing of the Coastal Mountain Range. You come out in the East Rift Valley, often into completely different weather |
If you only have one day
Head north in the morning: Torik Beach, then the footbridge at Sanxiantai, then lunch on the harbour at Chenggong. Come back via Shi Yusan and you will be home in time to watch the sun drop behind the mountains.
Or go south: buns at Donghe, macaques at Dengxian Bridge, the sugar factory at Dulan, then Jialulan for the light before dinner.
Just ask us
We live here. We know which road is being repaired, which season suits which spot, and whether a place is actually open today. Ask before you arrive or while you are here — and we can help arrange transfers if you are not driving.