Baishawan is one of the best beaches in northern Taiwan. The sand is white, the water shallow (and warm in the summer), and it is relatively well-kept and clean. Due to its proximity to Taipei, it sees lots of visitors, especially from foreigners. Swimming, sunbathing, surfing, and kite surfing are all popular activities at this beach.
Planning your trip to Taipei? Here are some top travel tips for you:
Please note this blog is about the beach in New Taipei. For Baishawan Beach in Kenting, see our blog here. Background: Baishawan (literally White Sand Bay) was formed roughly 800,000 years ago by volcanoes spewing lava into the ocean creating Fuigui Cape. Later coral grew near the shoreline, which makes up for most of the white sand seen on the beach today. The white sandy beach extends about one kilometer along the coast. Now it is one of the most popular destinations on the north coast of Taiwan. Because of its proximity to Taipei, there are sure to be many visitors, and because Taipei has the highest concentration of foreigners, be prepared to see a lot of other foreigners as well. Price: Free Parking: There is a paid parking lot in front of the main entrance. If this is full, you can park along the road next to it. Showers: Cold Shower: 10 NT per minute Hot Shower: 20 NT per minute Foot Wash: 10 NT If the main showers next to the visitors center are closed, there are other paid showers to the north next to the Fish and Chips restaurant. If you take long showers, it is more economical to shower there. Hours: May, June, and October 9AM - 5PM July, August, and September 9AM - 6PM Tours: You can book a tour to Taiwan's North Coast on TripAdvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can book a Private Laomei Green Reef Day Tour from Taipei on TripAdvisor here or KKday here. Activities: Don't forget that there are many activities available along Taiwan's Northern Coast such as Wakeboarding, Surfing, Speedboat Surfing, SUP / Paddle Boarding, Diving, Snorkeling Kayaking, Canoeing, Water Biking, River Tracing / Canyoneering, ATVing, Horse Riding, Archery, Tree Climbing, Glamping, Motorcycling, Motorbike Tour, Dragon Boat Racing, Shen'ao Rail Bike, and more on Tripadvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. Hotels on Taiwan's Northern Coast: We recommend Fullon Hotel which has locations in Tamsui and Fulong near the beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here). We have stayed at and recommend Gold Mountain Ranch, which is a horse ranch and glamping destination in Jinshan. You can book a night at Gold Mountain Ranch on Klook here. You can also check out our full blog on the ranch here. We have also stayed at and recommend Hai Xia Your Home which is right in front of Fulong Beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here). Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan. Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. How to Get There: By Bus: Take Keelung bus from either Danshui MRT station or Keelung TRA station. You can also take the yellow and white North Coast Shuttle Bus to Baishawan station. You can purchase a discount easy card to use on the MRT and buses from Klook here or KKday here. You can also book an MRT travel pass on Klook here. By Car/Scooter: Drive on Provincial Highway 2 out of Danshui to the northeast, or out of Keelung to the northwest. The beach area is near Sanzhi District 三芝區. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here. Looking for scooter rental in northern Taiwan? You can search on Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan's many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. You can also book a cycling tour on TripAdvisor here. For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here. Map: Please see below: Our Journey: We have been to Baishawan probably 10 or more times, each time driving there by car or scooter. Parking has never been a problem, even on busy weekends. There is paid parking both on the north and the south of the beach. If you are lucky you can find free parking on the side of the road north of the beach.
Check out our drone video above for an overview of the area.
You can also check out our 360 panorama above.
You can also check out this video I made of the sunset at Baishawan.
We have been to Baishawan probably 10 or more times, each time driving there by car or scooter. Parking has never been a problem, even on busy weekends.
Down the hill from the parking lot, you will find the visitor's center.
"Linshanbi is a cape located next to Baishawan (White Sand Bay) to the wet of Fuguei Cape, which is the northernmost point of Taiwan. It rises about 30 meters above the sea. Kike Fuguei Cape, Linshanbi has an abundance of andesite, evidence of volcanic eruption in the distant past. A circular rock formation at the northern edge of the cape look natural, but is actually a fish trap built by fisherman in early times. Fish and shrimp that enter the trap at high tide are captured in the trap when the tidal waters recede, leaving a wide variety of marine life for viewing fish, shrimp, crabs, snails, chitons, and anemones. This is a veritable classroom for teaching children to know sea life." 
Officially the beach has two swimming areas on the left and right, and two areas for surfing.
Apparently, there is rip tide here. If you cannot swim, don't go in deep water and consider bringing fins, a board, and a life jacket.
On this day in October, the weather wasn't great, but someone was enjoying their time kite surfing!
Check out our drone footage of the beach above!
Another photo of the kite surfer.
Another view of the kite surfer.
Aerial view of the beach.
Areal view of the beach.
Lots of people enjoying the beach, even in not so great weather!
The downside to this beach is the lifeguards. There is a designated swimming area, but if you go out of it, or the weather is bad, some guy on a quad will be blowing his whistle at you immediately. I think this is because most Taiwanese people can't swim. The average foreigner on the other hand... 
Here are some photos of another trip with some better weather. The sunsets here never fail to impress.
The sand isn't pure white but it is lighter than most sand in Taiwan.
Enjoying the beach scenery at dusk.
Panorama of the beach.
Further down the beach there are fewer people, and fewer lifeguards.
On the southwestern side of the beach is another swimming area with basically no lifeguards watching. Also, there are way fewer people. In my opinion, this is a way better spot to enjoy the beach.
2023 Update: 
The left part of the beach at Baishawan where all the foreigners congregate. The lifeguard comes here less, but he still finds the time to ride his four-wheeler over about every 10 minutes.
Over at the foreigner part of the beach.
Looking over at the more crowded side of the beach.
Perfect sand.
Looking back up the hill.
Now there is a new path leading from the showers down to the right side of the beach at Baishawan in New Taipei. This side of the beach is more crowded but the winds are calmer.
The good part about staying at the crowded side of the beach is that it is closer to the showers. The showers up the hill are paid by machine, 10 NT per minute.
We have found it is more economical to use showers at the row of houses behind the beach pictured above.
There is also a good British Fish and Chips style restaurant there. 
If you park at the south end, there is a long walk to the showers through these beautiful trees.
View of the parking lot at the south end of the beach.
View of the beach from the south side.
They have also made a new set of stairs in the middle of the beach and a new lookout point.
View of the main part of the beach from the lookout point.
Panorama of Baishawan.
This was the busiest I have ever seen Baishawan, and the most people I have seen in the water at any beach in Taiwan, even Kenting. It was probably because the water was only ankle deep so no one was afraid of drowning.
Drone footage of the beach in 2023.
They have also added lots of new white tents that you can rent.
View from the beach looking at Yangmingshan on a clear day.
I have also noticed wind surfers and SUPers on the right side of the beach.
More drone photos above.
More photos from our trip in 2023 above.
Catching the perfect wave at sunset.
Linshanbi Cape Recreation Area 麟山鼻遊憩區 
Next to this secret spot on the beach is a trail that I assume circles around Lishanbi Cape. Lishanbi Cape is a rocky area on the south side of Baishawan Beach.
"Linshanbi is a cape located next to Baishawan (White Sand Bay) to the wet of Fuguei Cape, which is the northernmost point of Taiwan. It rises about 30 meters above the sea. Kike Fuguei Cape, Linshanbi has an abundance of andesite, evidence of volcanic eruption in the distant past. A circular rock formation at the northern edge of the cape look natural, but is actually a fish trap built by fisherman in early times. Fish and shrimp that enter the trap at high tide are captured in the trap when the tidal waters recede, leaving a wide variety of marine life for viewing fish, shrimp, crabs, snails, chitons, and anemones. This is a veritable classroom for teaching children to know sea life." 
There is a fake chapel like structure here that you can take photos with. You may notice similar church structures around Taiwan; apparently Taiwanese people think it is a romantic place to take a photo? Like for giving off a wedding type feel?
Some more fake backdrops for photos.
On the Southwest there is a paid parking lot and an abandoned building that was once a main bus terminal for Aloha Bus. Now it is being renovated into a restaurant. Now it is being renovated into a beach cafe?
The old bus station, including bus schedules and time tables.
Another place to shower and get some snacks on the southwestern side of the beach, next to the paid parking lot.
If you go a little further down the beach, you will run across the semi-abandoned Harbor City complex 海灣城市.
There are lots of abandoned buildings along the northeast coast, but this one is particularly obvious. For more information about this place, check out this blog by Alexander Synaptic.
Laomei Green Reef 老梅綠石槽 
Laomei Green Reef 老梅綠石槽 is another popular tourist destination just a kilometer up the coast from Baishawan, past Fugui Cape. If you catch the reef at a super low tide, the rocks will be covered in green. Obviously I didn't catch low tide. These rocks were formed from the same volcanic activity that formed Baishawan.
You can book a Private Laomei Green Reef Day Tour from Taipei on TripAdvisor here or KKday here. You can check out our full guide to Laomei Green Reef here. 
Obviously I didn't catch low tide. These rocks were formed from the same volcanic activity that formed Baishawan. For more information about this place, check out this blog by Josh Ellis.
Laomei Green Reef with Fugui cape, the northernmost point in Taiwan, in the distance.
For our full blog on Fuigui Cape, click here. 
More fake chapels!
Walking away from Laomei Green Reef, there is an exhibition of some traditional fishing boats.
A sign explaining traditional fishing techniques.
Some more ancient and useless relics.
An old house squeezed between local people and art. A lot of the people in this town rely on the tourist industry (hostels and restaurants) for a living.
Don't forget that there are many activities available along Taiwan's Northern Coast such as Wakeboarding, Surfing, Speedboat Surfing, SUP / Paddle Boarding, Diving, Snorkeling Kayaking, Canoeing, Water Biking, River Tracing / Canyoneering, ATVing, Horse Riding, Archery, Tree Climbing, Glamping, Motorcycling, Motorbike Tour, Dragon Boat Racing, Shen'ao Rail Bike, and more on Tripadvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. Check out our guide to the best beaches near Taipei here. Check out our full guide to Taiwan’s Northern Coast here. Also be sure to check out our guide to Taipei here. You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here.
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Author 作家I am an American expat who has extensive experience living, working, and traveling in Taiwan. In my day, I had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But I have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. This blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. I am just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country. Categories
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