Hsinchu Coastal Trail

Hsinchu/Maoli County

A ride along the coast starting from Hsinchu and going into Maoli county.

Length: 55km round trip

Access: from Hsinchu train station take bus 15 bound for Nanliao Coast and get off at the 漁港口 bus stop (see map below for where to catch the bus from the train station). From the bus stop keep walking straight along the road and you’ll come to some bike rental shops. The people at the large green shop with a sign that says ‘SLOWNESS’ speak English.

The Ride

From the bike rental shop keep going straight for a couple of blocks and you’ll find the bike path running alongside a road. If you turn right here you will come to a small park with a lake that you can ride around. There are also some nice cafes around the lake that make for a good place to rest up after you have finished the ride.

The bike trail makes its way south along the coast through Hsinchu and into Maoli county. The first 17 km of bike through Hsinchu mostly hugs the coastline and has almost no shade. It is also a very popular ride and the trail can be crowded on weekends with people riding large tandem bikes. The trail also passes through some mangroves along the way. After 17 km you arrive at a small fake windmill. This is the end of Hsinchu and riding into the trees up head takes you into Maoli. For some reason almost everyone turns around here and heads back even though the best part of the trail is yet to come. For the next 18km round trip I only encountered four other cyclists and did this trip on a beautiful spring Sunday.

Continuing south from the windmill the trail goes mostly through forest, getting increasingly thicker the farther south you go.

After riding south from the windmill for a few minutes you will come to what appears to be the end of the trail. There is a gap here and the way through is not signposted. At end turn left and ride up to the main highway. Turn right and ride along the highway for about 500m and turn again at another small road. This turn is marked with a sign. Head for the trees up head and bike trail starts up again.

Continue to follow the bike trail south and eventually you’ll come to a fishing port located in the outskirts of Zhunan city. This is good place to get snacks and drinks. The best part of the trail is south from the port. The forests is at its thickest and the trail winds its way through the trees. The trail emerges from the trees and ends at a river mouth. There is a nice beach and sand spit here where you can rest up before heading back.

The bike route does continue further south across the river and through Maoli but there isn’t anymore forest on the other side of the river.

park in Hsinchu	bike trail in Hsinchu

riding through the mangroves	windmill at the end of Hsinchu, keep riding through the trees into Maoli

in the forest in Maoli	forest in Maoli

Photo Gallery of the Ride:

 

 

Map of the Ride

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