The Hidden Bitou Cape Trails You Didn't Know About
Bitou Cape or Bitoujiao Trails are one of the best trails to see the beautiful coastline in northeastern Taiwan. Most people only know Bitou Cape Valley Trail, but not the one to Bitou Cape (Bitoujiao) Lighthouse. In this post, you will know all the trails and the stunning views at Bitou Cape.
Table of Contents:
Disclaimer:
All content provided is for inspirational and informational purposes only. Creating, using, hiking, or traveling with Taiwan Hikes' suggested services or itineraries is at your own risk. Please use your best judgment and follow all safety precautions, as Taiwan Hikes and Anusha Lee are not liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from using this information.
Please also note that Taiwanese government agencies tend to change their URLs without bothering to redirect to the new ones. As a result, you will find some external sites on the Taiwan Hikes website are not working from time to time. Taiwan Hikes will try to update those URLs if possible.
Taiwan Hikes is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Note: In August 2020, New Taipei City government announced that Bitou Cape Lighthouse Trail is closed for good due to the danger of the steep slopes and fragile geologic structures. This news released after I almost finish this post. I still want to show people how beautiful this area is, and I'm sure you can see most of it from Bitou Cape Valley Trail. Please stay safe.
All content provided is for inspirational and informational purposes only. Creating, using, hiking, or traveling with Taiwan Hikes' suggested services or itineraries is at your own risk. Please use your best judgment and follow all safety precautions, as Taiwan Hikes and Anusha Lee are not liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from using this information.
Please also note that Taiwanese government agencies tend to change their URLs without bothering to redirect to the new ones. As a result, you will find some external sites on the Taiwan Hikes website are not working from time to time. Taiwan Hikes will try to update those URLs if possible.
Taiwan Hikes is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Note: In August 2020, New Taipei City government announced that Bitou Cape Lighthouse Trail is closed for good due to the danger of the steep slopes and fragile geologic structures. This news released after I almost finish this post. I still want to show people how beautiful this area is, and I'm sure you can see most of it from Bitou Cape Valley Trail. Please stay safe.
About Bitou Cape and Bitou Lighthouse
Bitou Cape or Bitoujiao
Bitou 鼻頭 in Chinese means the tip of your nose. From Google Map, it looks quite pointed.
Bitou Cape is the northeastern cape of Taiwan and you can find all kinds of Coastal erosion landforms here, especially cliffs, sea caves, wave-cut platforms.
There is an elementary school at Bitou Cape and there is a spot next the school wall where you can see the sunrise and sunset at the exact same spot.
Bitou Cape Lighthouse 鼻頭角燈塔
Bitou Cape Lighthouse was built in 1897 during Japanese Occupation. The old lighthouse was an iron hexagonal structure, but It was destroyed in WWII. In 1971, it was rebuilt and transformed into a concrete white tower. Due to the fragile landscape and falling rocks because of weathering, the trail to Bitou Cape Lighthouse is closed for good and the lighthouse is not open to the public.
If you are interested in lighthouses in Taiwan and want to visit those that are open to the public, please check the Maritime and Port Bureau's lighthouse website for more information.
How to Get There
Option 1: Take Kingbus 國光客運 1812 at Taipei Railway Station
Take Kingbus 國光客運 1811 or 1812, and you can find the ticket booth near North 1 Exit at Taipei
Railway Station. You can queue up at the bus stop, but it's better
to get a seat number at the ticket booth first to ensure you'll have
a seat during summer. The bus driver told us that they will let
passengers with the seat numbers to get on board first. If the bus
is full, you'll have to wait for the next one. It takes around one
and half hours to get to Bitoujiao Stop 鼻頭角站.
Option 2: Take Keelung Bus 791 at Keelung Train Station
Or take train to Keelung Train Station, take
Keelung Bus 791
to Fulong direction and get off at Bitoujiao Station.
Option 3: Take Gold Fulong Shuttle Bus 856 at Rueifang Train Station
You take this Taiwan Tourist Shuttle at Rueifang Train Station,
old Fulong Shuttle Bus 856. If you take this one, you get off at Bitou stop, which is very
close to Bitou Cape and you will see Bitou Harbor first.
After you get off the stop, you will see Bitou Fishing Harbor 鼻頭海港 on your left, and the sign to Bitou Elementary
School 鼻頭國小 in front of you. You can take the overpass next to the bus stop to get across the road to reach Bitou Road 鼻頭路 to get to
either of both places.
Please note that Kingbus 1811 or 1812 doesn't have many buses in the
late evening, so you have to go to Bitou Stop near Bitou Service Area and a temple on Bitou Road to take Keelung Bus 基隆客運 791 or 886 if you want to spend more time here. But please also bear in mind that 791 might come once in an hour in the late evening, and 886 stops services after 4 pm. There
is also a 7-11 convenience store if you need food and drinks before you get back.
Peaks to Reach
The highest peak among those trails is 118 meters (387 ft) above the
sea level, but I didn't go there on both my trips. You get to see the
wonderful coastal views on the ridgeline.
Bitou Cape Valley Trail: The Easy Trail to See the Unique Geological Formation and Sunrise/Sunset
There are several trails at Bitou Cape, but the most popular one is
Bitou Cape Valley Trail, which is only 1.1 km (0.68 miles) long, but you still
get to see the amazing coastline in Northeast Taiwan.
After getting off at Bitoujiao Stop, you will see a overpass next to
the bus stop. Take the overpass to across the road and then take the
right. After a few minutes, you will see Bitou Elementary School.
There's a striking picture near the front door of this tiny
elementary school. Many small elementary schools in Taiwan are located in
special places, and Bitou Elementary School is one of them. Before
the pandemic, visitors were allowed to enter the school on the weekends.
Our guide told us that there's a spot near Bitou Elementary School
that can allow you to see the sunrise and sunset on the same day. I
might try to see both someday.
You will find the trail next to the school easily. I've been here a
few times and I didn't have a GPX, which is fine. Just follow the
trails and people.
If you want to see the unique rock formations created by Mother
Earth, you can follow the signs and visit Geological Attraction
Area. For some unknown reasons, I missed the entrance at least three
times. But you can always see those amazing rocks along the
northeast coast highway.
After passing Bitou Elementary School for a while, you'll find a public
toilet and several pavilions to take a rest. There's also a
small detour on the right if you want to get closer to the coast
from a cliff.
Back to the trail and you will see two trails, one going up to the
ridgeline, which is the Valley Trail, and the one on the right to
the Bitou Cape Lighthouse. The trail to the lighthouse is closed for good.
I was lucky enough to hike there but I don't recommend this trail
after I panicked on several scary slopes. I'll explain more later in the
challenging section.
Beautiful Ridgeline Hike to See Northeast Coast of Taiwan
Even so, the views on the Valley Trail are already stunning enough.
You get to see the ridgeline winding on several hills from both
sides. When you stop at the pavilion and look on your left, you will
be amazed by the fjord like mountains.
When I first visited here many years ago, I didn't know what I was
looking at. After hiking around this area several times, I'm
thrilled that I'm able to recognize some of those hikes. You can
click
Mt. Teapot
and
Mt. Keelung
to read my posts about hikes to those peaks.
There is an old marine base on the hill, but now it's been
transformed into a tourist spot, called
Tingtao Camp 聽濤營區, meaning listening to the waves. After May 1st, 2020, you can go
there to have a cup of coffee and enjoy the beautiful views.
I could also see the trail I took and the big cave I rested during
my last hike in 2019 from the ridgeline of the Valley Trail.
After admiring the views at the last pavilion, I took the wooden
stairs going back to Bitou Harbor.
You can also start your hike from this side. There's a temple,
Xinxing Temple 新興宮, and signs for you to follow the trail. I will
suggest you start your hike from Bitou Elementary School, because
you can have some local food after your hike. Nothing much to eat
near the school.
If you want to continue your next destination, you can turn left
here. Just follow the road and you will get back to the bus stop or
visit other places nearby.
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Bitou Cape Lighthouse Trail: Not for People Who Are Afraid of Heights
When I took the Lighthouse Trail, I started from Bitou Elementary
School. I have to warn you that if you start from the school, you
will end up with the rock-climbing like hike and I hope you have a
strong heart.
Bitou Cape Lighthouse Trail was still open when we hiked there in 2019.
As I said earlier, the first section of the trail was easy, just
strolling on the trail to enjoy the view. When we reached the
lighthouse, we climbed up the hill behind the lighthouse. This hill
was very steep and there wasn't much for you to grab. I decided not
to reach the top and stayed in the middle to take photos.
To my delight, the views from the hill were so striking. I got to
see the ocean and the geological park on my right, and Mt. Keelung
and Juifen on the left. I'm sure it would be a 360° view on the top,
but I was content staying there.
The white Bitou Cape Lighthouse with the deep blue sea in the
background was astonishing, and it looked like a pearl being wrapped
by a blue velvet. You can also get a bird's eye view of the rock
formation on the seashore. Unfortunately, I forgot to take photos. I
only shot one shaky video. But if you think the view from the video
is amazing, it will be at least 100 times better if you get a chance
to be there.
I also saw the trail we were going to take next. The deep blue sea
and vivid green layers of hills made me excited and wonder what we
would see next. Please remember that the trail was very
narrow. It would be very dangerous if two hikers try to pass with
each other at the same time. I can understand why the local
government wants to close this trail.
Queueing up on the Trail
It was a gorgeous sunny day in autumn when we were there, and no
wonder so many people wanted to hike on the trail. The steep slope
also made the ascending/descending much slower. At some points, we
had to stop and waited. Thus, we got a traffic jam. This is one of
the things sometimes you have to endure
when hiking in Taiwan.
At this section of the trail, you need to grab the rope to get down
the slope. While waiting in the queue, I looked up to see how far
we had gone. I was amazed by the incredible job done by Mother Nature.
We found a place to have lunch after the queueing.
Sitting here and enjoying the beautiful rocks was a great delight.
There was a rock in front of us and it looked like a penguin
standing up.
I guess this photo is the best example of what "people mountain people
sea" looks like. It's normal to have so many people on the trails if you hike on
the popular ones in Taiwan. Since we are all stranded in Taiwan
because of Covid-19, there will be more people on the trails.
While sitting there, you can also get to see what the waves did on
the rocks over the millions of years, although those may not be good
for people with typophobia.
After lunch, we hiked on the rock shore, which wasn't difficult at
first. There were so many spectacular rocks, and we took as many
photos as we could. Then, we reached the slope.
Breaking Down on the Trail
It's not easy to describe how scary the slope was without pictures,
but I was too scared to take any, because I was trying to get down
safely. Basically, it was almost impossible to find a footing to place your feet safely, and there wasn't any strong trees or rocks for you to
grab, only some fragile grass.
Moreover, I had to look down to find my footing to descend, and all I could see was how terrible it might be if I slipped. After several
attempts, my frustration grew bigger and bigger and it reached to a
breaking point.
I was surrounded by many guides and they knew I was scared.
They tried to encourage and assure me it was safe to go, but I
didn't believe I could make it. Then they offered their hands to
help. However, I was so scared that I would drag them down with me
if I fell off the slope. So, I panicked. The fear of height and
endangering other people's lives took over me and I got stuck there
for several minutes. At that time, it felt like forever.
Finally, I crossed the scary slope in one piece, and I was able to
take a photo to show how scary it was when a small group of
people were trying to get down but decided to turn back. I wish I
had done the same thing, because what was waiting for me was even
scarier.
Another Blow
When I thought I finally passed the most difficult part, another
trial was awaiting me. I saw the those rocks I had to pass. The
guides told us the technique to descend was to extend your arms and
legs among those rocks like the Spiderman. If you are not used to rock climbing, this one will be difficult, at least for me.
As you can imagine, this was not a proud moment for me, and I could
sense the two guides who were trying to help me were losing
patience. I don't blame them at all. They had given a warning before
the trip, and I didn't know it was that terrifying.
After the last scary rock climbing, we passed through some huge and
beautiful sea cliff caves. The following photos were taken in April
2020. I was still in shock and frustrated from the scary climbing.
You will get to Bitou Beach Park soon after those caves to finish
your hike.
Although I was embarrassing myself on that day, I still got to see
the most stunning views. The striking hills and tortuous trail
spanning across them, not to mention the superb weather made this so
remarkable. All the embarrassing moments were still worth it.
Bitou Cape Beach to See Cliff Caves
There's an unofficial trailhead next to Bitou Beach Park. There is
not trail path on this side and you have to check the tidal waves
before you visit. Some tourists were swept off the beach and got
drowned. The local government considered to close off this
trailhead. You are responsible for your own safety if you take this
one.
Although the shore is dirty, the magnificent sea cliff caves still
stand out. The cliffs have been eroded by the sea for millions of
years and those are like a masterpiece. When I visited here again in
April 2020, I wanted to get a closer look at those caves. So, I
stayed at the caves a little longer to admire them before moving on.
While walking on those big rocks, I noticed there were so many
plastic bottles on the shore. I didn't recall there were so many
plastic bottles when I hiked here last time. After a closer look,
those were washed up from the ocean. There were too many to be
cleaned up. So sad...
It didn't take long for me to reach those slopes that made my legs
shaking. There was a big group of hikers trying to descend.
After taking enough photos, I decided to call it a day. The weather
wasn't as good as my previous trip, and it was going to rain. But I
was still very happy to visit Bitou Cape again.
Thoughts about This Hike
Although Bitou Cape Lighthouse Trail is closed for good, some hiking groups still take hikers to go there. I don't recommend you take this one because it's really dangerous. I was lucky to have several guides to help and support me.
Other than that, Bitou Cape is a wonderful place to visit and you
can take the Valley Trail without making your heart skip a beat.
Not just for hiking, Bitou Cape is also a place for people to go
fishing, scuba diving and snorkeling. Please expect a huge crowd if
you go snorkeling in summer.
Since the trails in Bitou Cape are short, you can visit nearby
attractions like
龍洞 Longdong. Longdong is also a popular destinition for
rock climbing. There is a pedestrian path in Bitou Tunnel and it's not too far
to walk there from Bitou Cape. There is a hiking trail in Longdong,
too.
Another attraction is Juifen. You have to take the bus and get off
at Shueinandong 水湳洞 and enjoy the mining culture and
more trails in Rueifang.
The northeast part of Taiwan is my favorite place to visit, because
the coastline is so spectacular. Before I started hiking seriously,
I took the bus here just to see the amazing coastlines. If you can
stay in Taiwan for a longer period of time, you definitely have put
this part in your itinerary. If you hike here in summer, please
remember to protect yourself from the sun, because there's not much
shade on the trails.
If you come to the right seasons, from April to September, you will see many Formosa lilies or Taiwan Lilies here. Please check out the Facebook of Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area Administration for the latest news.
Have you been to Bitou Cape Valley Trail and the lighthouse? What do you think about this place? Feel free to let me know if you have any questions or comments. Sign up for the Taiwan Hikes newsletter for more trails in Taiwan.
If you like Taiwan Hikes, feel free to buy me a coffee. Thank you very much for your support!
Map and Itinerary
Group Hike or Solo Hike:
My first hike was with Taiwan Mountain LOHAS Association (LOHAS) on October 6, 2019
My second hike was a solo hike on April 11, 2020.
I decide not to put the GPX of the lighthouse trail since it's closed. As to the valley trail, it's very easy to get around by following the stairs.
My first hike was with Taiwan Mountain LOHAS Association (LOHAS) on October 6, 2019
My second hike was a solo hike on April 11, 2020.
I decide not to put the GPX of the lighthouse trail since it's closed. As to the valley trail, it's very easy to get around by following the stairs.
Based on my hike on the valley trail I took on April 11, 2020
09:30
Got off bus
09:36
Arrived at Bitou Elementary School
09:38
Reached at the point where you can see sunrise and sunset at
the same location
09:48
Went to the small cliff to take a look
09:55
Saw the sign of Bitou Cave Valley Trail at the junction to the
lighthouse
10:00
Reached the entrance of the military camp
10:08
Reached the pavilion
10:14
Looked down at the big cave where I took a short break from
my hike on the lighthouse trail
10:29
Reached the sign at the junction to Bitou Fishery Harbor and to
the pavilion
10:30
Reached the pavilion
10:34
Got back to the junction and headed to the harbor
10:41
Arrived at the sign of the other trailhead
10:45
Arrived at Xinxing Temple
10:47
Arrived at Bitou Beach Park and headed to the coastal
trail
10:53
Saw the arrow painted on a dolos
10:56
Reached the big caves and took photos
11:05
Arrived at the bottom of the scary slope and stayed there
taking photos
11:31
Got back to Bitou Beach Park and called it a day
Total Time:
2 hours and 1 minutes, including breaks