With overseas travel off the table because of the pandemic, domestic trips have become the go-to choice lately, and island getaways are especially popular. Penghu tops most people’s lists! Penghu actually has a huge range of sights: besides the famous Great Bridge and the Erkan Village, there are plenty of spots that rarely get mentioned. Here we’ve rounded up some off-the-beaten-path places so you can get a closer look at these beautiful Penghu attractions!
Haven’t added the Penghu Fireworks Festival to your itinerary yet? Don’t miss this:
How do you get to Penghu?
☞ Hong Kong ⇄ Penghu
China Airlines announced direct flights between Hong Kong and Penghu starting April 24, 2018, but the route is currently suspended because of the pandemic.
☞ Taiwan ⇄ Penghu
Before you book a rental car, it’s best to lock in your flights first. Don’t assume a domestic route is easy to get—seats are hard to come by in peak season.
(1)ezFly (2)Mandarin Airlines (3)UNI Air
You can also take a ferry from Budai in Chiayi (this is the shortest crossing—just 80 to 90 minutes from Chiayi to Penghu).
There are currently three ferry operators to choose from: (1)Taiji Star (2)Kaisuan Shipping (3)Manderson Shipping
◆ Ferry information for other offshore islands
| Destination | Penghu | Xiaoliuqiu | Green Island |
| Ferry operator | Chiayi Budai Express Ferry | x | x |
| Departure point | Budai Port Visitor Service Center | Donggang Pier | Fugang Pier, Taitung |
| Operating hours | ◆ April–October ◆ Depending on passenger numbers, up to two sailings a day Outbound 7:00, return 13:00 (extra sailing) Outbound 10:00, return 16:00 (regular sailing) | ◆ Open year-round ◆ 7:00–17:00, one sailing every hour (extra sailings added depending on the number of passengers) | ◆ Open year-round ◆ Sailing times vary by departure date (7:00–16:00) |
| Ticket price | One way NT$1,000 Round trip NT$1,950 |
Public ferry: NT$200 one way Private ferry: NT$230 one way | Round trip, full fare NT$800 |
| Sailing time | About 80–90 minutes | About 25–35 minutes | About 45–55 minutes |
How should you get around Penghu?
For an independent trip to Penghu, we highly recommend renting a car and driving yourself! Penghu’s busiest season is the height of summer, and riding a scooter under the blazing sun gets hot fast—so a rental car is a great way to travel between sights.
| Scooter | Car | |
| Pros | More convenient, fewer parking headaches | Keeps you out of the heat, carries more passengers at once |
| Cons | Riding a scooter gets hot | Sometimes you have to hunt for a parking space |
Renting a scooter and renting a car each have their upsides and downsides, so pick whichever suits your preferences and needs!
Recommended Penghu attractions and hidden gems
[Penghu hidden gem 1] Longmen Nankan Blockade Position Photo by: @mindihappy
Turns out Orchid Island isn’t the only place with a Longmen Harbor—Penghu has one too! This is a hidden gem that only locals in Penghu’s Longmen Village know about. There are very few photos of it online. You get a view over the whole of Longmen Harbor, plus a turquoise stretch of sea and sand all to yourself, and it’s one of the best spots for sunset!
[Penghu hidden gem 2] Guoye Lime Kilns Photo by: @lululin035
The Guoye lime kilns were where lime was produced back in the 1960s. Cement and paint weren’t widely available then, so lime was the construction industry’s material of choice. Every angle offers a different view, making it a great spot for photography fans to shoot! Besides the lime structures, the shoreline is dotted with cute rocks you can stand on for photos—you’ll fill up your memory card in no time.
[Penghu hidden gem 3] Nei’an Beach Photo by: nianyun_0705
Nei’an Beach is known as “the Maldives of Penghu.” The sand here is wonderfully fine, making it perfect for playing in the water, and the wooden boardwalk alongside it photographs beautifully. It’s a great spot to capture the hills, the sand, the sea—and your own good looks—all in one frame!
[Penghu hidden gem 4] Wai’an Fishing Harbor / Sanxiantai
Sanxiantai lets you fit the whole of Wai’an Fishing Harbor into one shot—a must-visit for photographers! The houses at Wai’an are built into the hillside at the edge of Xiyu Island, making it Penghu’s most remote fishing harbor. After dark the view looks like Santorini—absolutely dreamy!
[Penghu hidden gem 5] Houliao Heaven’s Road Photo by: @hsilife.ch
Houliao Heaven’s Road was originally built as a port for unloading cargo, but once a new port opened, it fell out of use. The scenery here changes with the tide. At high tide, Heaven’s Road is surrounded by the sea; at low tide, the sandy, pebbly seabed is exposed, and the moss on the road actually photographs beautifully in its own way!
[Penghu hidden gem 6] Dayi Temple Photo by :@a_____ton
Don’t assume this is just like any other temple, because you’d be very wrong! Dayi Temple looks like an underwater dragon palace, with colorful coral covering the interior, leaving visitors itching to press the shutter again and again. There are even adorable sea turtles that sometimes photobomb the shots!
[Penghu hidden gem 7] Whale Cave Photo by :@quan_0819
Whale Cave sits on Xiaomen Islet at the northern tip of Xiyu Township, Penghu County, and is the islet’s most distinctive sea-erosion formation. It was originally a basalt sea cliff that the waves gradually carved away. A formation this unusual is a must-see for any visitor!
[Penghu hidden gem 8] Chixi Basalt Waterfall Photo by :@quan_0819
Penghu has plenty of basalt scenery, and Chixi Basalt Waterfall is one of the most special places to see it. There’s an abandoned abalone farm here, so you can admire the basalt from unusual angles, and standing on the neat square farm pools makes for striking, beautiful photos!
[Penghu hidden gem 9] Xiaochijiao Double-Arch Bridge Photo by :@ryan_zec
Xiaochijiao Double-Arch Bridge looks its best in the two hours before and after high tide, when the seawater covers the pavilion’s piers and it looks like a little hut floating on the water. The views at low tide are different but still nice, though we’d suggest timing your visit for high tide to get the dreamiest photos. Check the tide table before you plan your itinerary!
Penghu attractions and the Penghu Fireworks Festival
The Penghu Fireworks Festival has always been the highlight of a trip to Penghu, and the colorful fireworks are the perfect ending to an exciting day. We’ve also put together some information about the festival to make it easier for you to go watch!
Click for more information about the Penghu Fireworks Festival
Read more >>
[Penghu accommodation] Great-value picks where you can stay comfortably for under NT$1,000 a night
[Penghu car rental guide] Everything you need to know in one place
[Penghu Fireworks Festival: the best viewing spots] Generously shared by locals
[Must-eat Penghu food] Where to go after the fireworks
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This article was translated by AI from the original Chinese version.
