Fulong

Fulong Loop Bike Trail

Length: 27km

A fantastic bike trail that includes a 19km loop around Taiwan’s most eastern cape, and a 4km ride along the beach.

Access: take the train to Fulong.

The Ride:

There are many bike rental shops on the main highway just outside Fulong station. Bikes cost $100 to rent for the day. The loop can be done in any direction.

Cape Trail

After you’ve rented your bike, go back up to the station and ride along the road that goes parallel to the tracks. After 2km you’ll arrive at the start of the bike trail.

at the start of the bike trail

The bike trail starts by riding through a 2km long old rail tunnel.

heading into the tunnel

in the tunnel

east coast side of the tunnel

After riding through the tunnel, you’ll pop out at the east coast. You will likely find lots of people hanging out here eating sausages and things and enjoying the view. The trail around the cape seems to have become more popular. There are also new rest areas and viewpoints that have been added along the way.

Look for a ramp going up next to the tunnel (you can see it in the picture). This is the start of the ride around the cape. The bike trail is separate from the highway so you won’t have to worry about traffic.

bike trail going around the cape

The views of the sea and the rocks are excellent. There are several viewpoints where you can stop along the way and places where you can climb around on the rocks.

the rocks on the east coast

strange creature seen on the rocks

At the north end of the cape there is a viewpoint where everyone stops to take pictures of Turtle Island. Around the north side of the cape the trail will also take you through several fishing villages with complete with derelict old houses. These villages can be fun places to explore. Large numbers of houses in them are abandoned and crumbling.

heading towards a fishing village at the end of the bay

old stone house in a fishing village

bike trail cutting through a small, run-down fishing village

Once you are about 10 – 15 minutes away from Fulong there are a couple of cafes on either side of the highway where you can rest over snacks and coffee.

a café near fulong

Beach Trail

Once you get back to Fulong, if you still have time and energy, there is an additional 4km one-way trail that goes along the beach over the sand dunes on the other side of the river mouth from Fulong Beach. With the construction of the bike trail around the cape this trail has been largely forgotten and you’ll likely have the trail to yourself.

NOTE: Despite the fact that all the signs and maps direct you to the suspension bridge, it is closed off and you can’t ride across it. It looks to be in rough shape actually. The new bike trail just follows along the highway (and isn’t very interesting) to the town of Aodi (which also isn’t very interesting). However, you can still access the old bike trail. Follow the new trail along the highway until you cross the river, then drop down to the road underneath and follow that to the suspension bridge. You can continue along the old bike trail from there. It is a really nice ride over the sand dunes, which are covered in the type of vegetation you would expect to be growing in sand, and there are lots of birds too. You can also access the beach for a swim. The old trail ends at Yanliao Beach Park.