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The 17 kilometer coastal bike route in Hsinchu is a beautiful stretch of seaside. It can be as leisurely or strenuous as you want. While it's not remote and challenging to get to like most posts on The Map Room, the other side of the coin is the fact that you can just go there any time you want a bit of exercise, relaxation, or both.
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Sometimes it's the things you least expect that are the most beautiful.
After taking my bike to the shop for some repairs, I decided to take the scenic Hsinchu 17 Kilometer Coastal Bike Route in Taiwan back to my apartment. I usually avoid it because I ride hard and fast for exercise, but the coastal route is so beautiful that it's invariably full of locals walking and riding around, sometimes too slowly for me to get any speed. But hey, I hadn't been there for quite a while and was up for a more relaxing ride that day, so... why not?
The regularly spaced "stones" along the waters edge are actually all that remains visible of a
line of erosion stopping tetrapods. They're as tall as me, and the
typhoons have buried them this deep!
Tetrapods (see below) buried to their very tops in the sandy beach
along the typhoon-prone Taiwan Strait
What a great decision! As it turned out, there weren't too many people there - it was getting on towards evening, after all. As I rode along, I found my self stopping more and more often to enjoy the view and snap photos... until it tuned into a photo expedition that only happened to be happening via bike.
A beautiful, striped stone on the sandy beach casts shadows over
dog tracks as the evening sun begins to set
I didn't get much exercise that day, but wow, what I got in exchange! Here are a few of the beautiful scenes I experienced riding along the Taiwan Strait just as the sun was getting ready to set.
The sun begins to set over distant China as tetrapod heads
cast long shadows on the sea shore
Tetrapod heads cast long shadows on the golden sands of Taiwan's coast
as the amber sunlight of late evening reflects off the water's surface
These tetrapods have fared much better against the Taiwanese typhoons over time.
Fishing line, rope and other flotsam and jetsam can be found all around and between them.
I decided to get off my bicycle for a little while to enjoy the beautiful colors.
It wasn't only me who wanted to enjoy the evening, of course. Four wheeled quadricycles
passed by here and there as families, friends and couples enjoyed
the cool air and beautiful light of the day's end.
Locals of all kinds were out and about!
Biking here is literally a literal breath of fresh air. There are places for smokers galore in Taiwan,
but for those of us who prefer natural air, this is a very pleasant place to come indeed.
This father seemed to think the same thing! Here he is riding a bike with his little boy.
More tetrapods - they line the entire 17 kilometers of the biking area, and extend
much further than that both to the north and the south.
Another local rides by on his bike as I enjoy the vibrant colors of the sunset.
For a while, I looked mostly out to sea. Then, looking back inland, I was treated to this beautiful, golden sunset happening just behind me!
Evening came and all turned to hues of blue, grey and black. But this wasn't the last time for me to visit - I've spent several evenings there since.
If you're ever in northwestern Taiwan and want something nice to do in the evening, I can definitely recommend coming to Hsinchu to see the coastal biking route. Even if you're walking, or if you want to rent a quadricycle, it's a wonderful place to visit!
THE NITTY-GRITTY
Length of ride:
17 km (one way); 34 km (loop); 41 km (as shown in my route, with approach added on)
Time:
2 hours 20 minutes at a leisurely pace taking pictures
Google Map links to three more of the the many, many trailheads:
Yes - bring your baby or toddler, or your older children, if you want a nice walk, or if you want to rent one of the bikes or quadricycles.
GPX file: Hsinchu 17 K Coastal Bike Trail - The Map Room 新竹17公里海岸自行車道-地圖寶庫
Remarks:
A beautiful, flat, seaside bicycle riding route along a stretch of the coastline on the Taiwan Straight. It has scenery and locals, but it's also some good exercise.
All information on this page is intended for reference only. Preparing adequate food, water, and gear for your adventure, as well as following local rules and laws are, of course, your own responsibility! Always make sure that you check the weather for outdoor destinations, be careful and sensible for enclosed spaces like tunnels and bunkers, and bring a lighter - you never know when it could save your life! Now... get out there and have an amazing time!
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All the pic is beautiful, I may happy spend the time waiting for the sunset !