Why this ride
It goes by way of Nanfangao and Qingshui Cliffs. The stored terrain estimate reaches about 1,150 m; a measured road-elevation profile is not available. It suits an unhurried touring pace.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Taiwan Suhua Highway from Yilan
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 93 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 2 h 08
- 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
Taiwan Suhua Highway
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For about 3 km this is Taiwan Suhua Highway, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 3 km
- Named road
- Taiwan Suhua Highway
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Su ao
Su'ao is a fishing port on the north-east coast of Taiwan, a working harbour with sheds, trawlers and the smell of diesel and salt, and it marks the northern gate of one of the island's dramatic coastal roads. The mountains of the Central range drop almost directly into the Pacific here, leaving very little flat land, and the town is squeezed into a narrow lowland between steep green slopes and a bay full of boats. It is not a pretty place, but it is honest, and the seafood is excellent.
Read the complete Su ao write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Su ao is where the day begins. Next is Nanfangao.
2. Nanfangao
Nanfang'ao is a fishing harbour tucked into a bay on the north-east coast of Taiwan, and it is still more working port than tourist attraction. Boats of all sizes crowd the quay, nets and floats are heaped on the dock, and the air smells of salt, diesel and frying. Behind it the coast mountains rise steeply, and the town climbs the hillside in a jumble of narrow lanes and concrete houses with tiled roofs, while the harbour wall protects the bay from the Pacific swell.
Read the complete Nanfangao write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Nanfangao comes up about 3 km into the recorded legs. Next is Qingshui Cliffs.
3. Qingshui Cliffs
The Qingshui Cliffs are where Taiwan's eastern mountains simply stop and the Pacific begins. The rock face rises almost a kilometre straight out of the sea, a wall of grey and white marble and gneiss streaked with vegetation, and the road runs along its flank, cut into the cliff, with a drop of hundreds of metres on one side. The water below is a deep, intense blue, and when the light hits it right, the whole scene seems almost unreal.
Read the complete Qingshui Cliffs write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 60 km into the recorded legs you reach Qingshui Cliffs. Next is Hualien.
4. 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
Su ao to Nanfangao
Su ao → Nanfangao is 3 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Nanfangao to Qingshui Cliffs
Nanfangao → Qingshui Cliffs is 57 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Qingshui Cliffs to Hualien
Qingshui Cliffs → Hualien is 33 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.