Taipei · Yangmingshan and North Coast

A 69 km loop from Yangmingshan

Open this ride in the planner →

Why this ride

Volcanic hills and sea air close to the city. 69 km round from Taipei - plan on about 1 h 20 of riding. The stops in between: Jinshan coast, Yehliu geopark and Keelung. Yangmingshan is the high point. It is a high-mountain day.

Roadbook

1. Yangmingshan pass

   Yangmingshan rises just north of Taipei, a volcanic massif that fills the skyline and cools the air by several degrees. The park, a national park since 1985, takes in the Tatun volcano group, an old cluster of cones that has been quiet for a long time, though fumaroles, sulphur vents and hot springs still show the fire beneath. The highest peak, Qixing Mountain, stands at around 1,120 metres, and is the high point of the Taipei basin. The air smells faintly of sulphur at the vents, which is a surprise to those who thought they had left the city.

   The mountain used to be called Caoshan, and was renamed in the 1950s by Chiang Kai-shek, after the Ming dynasty philosopher Wang Yangming. It became a retreat for officials and a weekend escape for the city, and today it is one of Taipei's best-loved outdoor places. In February and March, cherry blossoms line the paths, followed by calla lilies in spring and the silver grass of Mount Qixing in autumn. Hot springs are everywhere, and nearby Beitou is the traditional place to soak after a ride.

   For a motorcyclist, Yangmingshan has some of the best roads close to a big Asian city. Yangjin Highway climbs from the city or from the coast in loops and hairpins through forest and open grassland, with views down toward Taipei and, to the north, the sea. The roads can be busy on weekends, with scooters, cyclists and tour buses, and the surface is generally good, if slippery in the drizzle that often drapes the mountain. In winter, the north-east monsoon brings mist and light rain, and visibility can drop quickly, so a clear dry day is a gift. Early mornings in spring and autumn are the best times, when the traffic is light and the air is washed.

   Taipei is only fourteen kilometres away, so fuel, food and everything else are easy, with convenience stores on almost every corner and night markets that stay open late. On the mountain itself, there are a few small restaurants and tea houses by the roadside, and parking spots at the main visitor areas fill early on holidays. Keelung, on the north coast, is famous for its harbour night market and its seafood, and makes a natural next stop for hungry riders.

   Wear something warm: the top can be much cooler and wetter than the city below.

2. Jinshan coast swim

   Jinshan sits on the north coast of Taiwan, a short ride from Taipei, and it has the look and feel of a place with several identities. It is a hot-spring town, with sulphur water that bubbles up from the volcanic hills of Yangmingshan behind it. It is a beach town, with a long strip of dark sand that fills with swimmers in summer. And it is a food town, where the local specialities are sweet potatoes, duck, and the street snacks sold along the old street, from fried dough to taro balls.

   The coast itself is a mixture of rock and sand. To the east, the shoreline is cut by headlands and bays, with rock platforms washed by the sea, and to the west it is a long, gentle curve of beach, with the green hills rising directly behind. The Yangmingshan massif, a group of dormant volcanoes, is a national park above the town, with steaming vents, sulphur deposits and, in winter, a regular veil of mist. The weather on the north coast is changeable: in winter, the northeast monsoon brings grey skies, cold wind and drizzle, while in summer it is hot and humid, with typhoons from July to October.

   The coastal road, Provincial Highway 2, is a pleasure to ride when the weather is good. It follows the shore with curves and short climbs, passing fishing harbours, rocky capes and small temples, and the sea is visible for much of the way. Traffic is a hazard, particularly at weekends when Taipei empties onto the coast, and the roads are crowded with scooters, buses and tour groups. The surface is generally good, but salt air and rain mean damp patches and loose grit, so be careful on the bends. In the early morning, the road is quiet and the light is lovely.

   The swimming beaches have lifeguards in summer, and the sea can have strong currents, so respect the flags. Fuel and food are easy, with stations and shops in the town and along the coast, and Keelung, fourteen kilometres to the east, is a large port city with everything you could want. Autumn, from October to December, is the best season, with clear skies and a warm sea, though winter weekdays have a quiet charm of their own.

3. Yehliu geopark sight
4. Keelung food food

   Keelung is a port that rains. It is the northernmost big city in Taiwan, a harbour town squeezed between steep green hills and a dark sea, and the damp climate is so reliable that the local joke is about carrying an umbrella as a matter of course. The harbour is busy, with container ships, ferries and fishing boats, and the old streets rise in steps up the hillsides, lined with shophouses, temples and the odd Japanese-era building.

   It is also, to a Taiwanese, a place to eat. The night market that runs along the streets beside Dianji Temple, known as Miaokou, is one of the best-known in the country, with its stalls arranged in long, brightly lit rows, selling fried seafood, fish soups, noodles, sweet and savoury pastries, and a famous cold dessert of shaved ice. The speciality of the port is fresh fish and shellfish, cooked simply, often in a broth or fried with garlic, and you queue with everyone else at the stall that has the longest line. Stand at a counter with a bowl in your hand, as the locals do, and you have eaten as well as in any restaurant.

   Riding in and out of Keelung is a lesson in Taiwanese traffic. The roads are crowded with scooters, which move in swarms and filter through every gap, and the city is a maze of one-way streets, tunnels and flyovers. Take it easy, keep your distance and watch for scooters coming from the side. Parking for motorcycles is plentiful, but you may need to find a marked space. Wet roads are slippery, especially painted lines and manhole covers, and the rain falls often, so a waterproof layer is not optional.

   Above the city, the hills climb toward Jiufen, an old gold-mining town with narrow stairways and tea houses overlooking the sea, which is about eleven kilometres away along a winding mountain road. It is lovely and extremely crowded at weekends. Fuel is available everywhere in Keelung, and the roads to the north coast and to Taipei are straightforward. The driest months are October and November, though no month is reliably dry.

5. Back to Yangmingshan finish

   Back at Yangmingshan. That is the ride.

Where this sits

Rides near here