Why this ride
On the way it passes Dulan, Taitung, back through Dulan and back through Sanxiantai. The stored terrain estimate reaches about 1,150 m; a measured road-elevation profile is not available. A steady touring day rather than a sprint.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
East Coast Highway 11 · part 3
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 227 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 5 h 25
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
East Coast Highway 11
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For about 19 km this is East Coast Highway 11, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 19 km
- Named road
- East Coast Highway 11
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Sanxiantai
Sanxiantai means Terrace of the Three Immortals, and the name comes from a legend of three Taoist immortals who are said to have rested on the offshore island here. It lies on Taiwan's east coast, near the town of Chenggong, where the sea turns a startling deep blue, and a long arched footbridge, shaped like a dragon's back, runs out to the island across a lagoon. Seen from the shore, with the waves breaking on dark volcanic rock, it has a wild, sculptural look.
Read the complete Sanxiantai write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Sanxiantai is where the day begins. Next is Dulan.
2. Dulan
Dulan sits on Taiwan's east coast, where the mountains drop almost straight into the Pacific. The village, in Taitung County about fifteen kilometres north of Taitung City, lies along Provincial Highway 11, a ribbon of road that runs between the Coastal Mountain Range and the sea, and the combination of mountain, surf and open sky has made it a haven for surfers, artists and refugees from the island's crowded west.
Read the complete Dulan write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Dulan comes up about 38 km into the recorded legs. Next is Taitung.
3. Taitung
Taitung is a quiet, easy-going city on Taiwan's south-eastern coast, with about a hundred and ten thousand people, a long Pacific shoreline, and a pace of life noticeably slower than the busy west coast. Behind it, the Coastal Range runs north to south on one side and the Central Mountain Range on the other, with the long East Rift Valley in between, a flat strip of farmland that follows the line where two tectonic plates meet. For a rider who has spent the day on the road, it is an easy and friendly place to end.
Read the complete Taitung write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 57 km into the recorded legs you reach Taitung. Next is back through Dulan.
4. back through Dulan
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Dulan write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Dulan, about halfway. Next is back through Sanxiantai.
5. back through Sanxiantai
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Sanxiantai write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Sanxiantai sits at 128 km, about halfway. Next is back through Shitiping.
6. back through Shitiping
Shitiping means roughly stone steps terrace, and that already tells you a lot about the place. It sits on Taiwan's east coast, where the Coastal Mountain Range drops almost straight into the Pacific, and the highway squeezes itself between rock and sea. The area belongs to the long, wild stretch of Provincial Highway 11, the road that runs south from Hualien towards Taitung with the ocean on one side nearly all the way.
Read the complete Shitiping write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Shitiping comes up about 162 km into the recorded legs. Next is Hualien.
7. Hualien
Hualien lies on Taiwan's wild east coast, squeezed between the Pacific and a wall of mountains that rise to over three thousand metres within a few dozen kilometres of the sea. The city is relaxed, with a lively night market, sea-view cafes and the slightly weathered air of a place that is regularly shaken by earthquakes and typhoons. It is also the gateway to Taroko Gorge, where the Liwu river has cut a deep canyon through marble.
Read the complete Hualien write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Hualien closes the day.
Leg by leg
Sanxiantai to Dulan
Sanxiantai → Dulan is 38 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Dulan to Taitung
Dulan → Taitung is 19 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Taitung to back through Dulan
Taitung → back through Dulan is 19 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Dulan to back through Sanxiantai
back through Dulan → back through Sanxiantai is 38 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Sanxiantai to back through Shitiping
back through Sanxiantai → back through Shitiping is 48 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Shitiping to Hualien
back through Shitiping → Hualien is 66 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
More motorcycle rides nearby
- East Coast Highway 11 · 170 km
- East Coast Highway 11 starting at Hualien City · 340 km
- Taiwan East Rift Valley · 172 km