Bitou Cape (aka Bitoujiao/Bítóujiǎo) is a scenic area of coastline in Ruifang District of New Taipei, along the northeast coast, with popular hiking trails, interesting geological formations, a refurbished tourist military complex. and steep sea cliffs. It is a beautiful area along the coast that you should be sure to not miss.
Background: The sandstone that forms Bitou Cape was formed as sediment under the ocean millions of years ago and were then uplifted thanks to the collision of the Eurasian and Philippine plates. The rocks are mainly sedimentary and are part of the same formation that forms the special rock formations on the northern coast around Keelung. Because of this, there are many interesting eroded rock formations around the cape. The name Bitou (鼻頭) means the tip of the nose in Chinese. Bitoujiao Lighthouse was completed in 1897, built by the Japanese. Later it was repaired in WWII, and is still used today. The ROC army/navy military base at Bitou Cape has been sitting dormant for over 20 years, and was finally opened to the public as a rainbow "pink" military base to attract tourists on May 1st, 2020. The area is a popular weekend destination for many residents of Northern Taiwan. Hours: 24/7 Price: Free Tours: You can book a tour to Bitou Cape on KKday here or Klook here. Activities along Taiwan's Northern Coast: 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 Car/Scooter: From Keelung, take provincial highway 2 east along the north coast until you reach the Bitou Fishing Harbor. There is limited parking near the harbor, and further free parking on the other side of the tunnel but it is a bit of a walk. 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 Bus: From Keelung TRA Station, take Keelung Bus 791 east about two hours to Bitou cape. 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 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: 
I have been to Bitoujiao once by car. Parking spcaes there are really hard to get on the weekend, unless you walk a long distance. We got lucky after multiple passes we found an empty spot near the bathrooms on the side of the road.
If you come to Bitou Cape you need to stop by Bitou Harbor and eat something.
It's not the cleanest harbor.
Old house near the harbor.
Local seafood noodle soup, with octopus/squid.
Normal Taiwanese pork noodles.
Braised pork rice.
Taiwanese fried greens.
One of the delicacies here is Gelidium Jelly (石花凍 Shíhuā dòng), which is made from a type of red algae called Geladium that grows near the seashore all along the north coast of Taiwan. It's basically jell-o, and a bowl of it costs about 30 NT. A tasty treat on a hot day.
More photos of a meal we had at Bitou Harbor on another day above.
View of Bitou Harbor at sunset.
Another view of the harbor at dusk.
After feeding ourselves, we were ready for the long hike.
We decided to start from the elementary school side because it looked less steep...
There is some nice playground equipment here if you have kids.
And public bathrooms next to the seashore.
And people selling more Gelidium Jelly on the trail.
All along the coast are interesting rock formations.
I originally planned to go straight through this fence, but because of rock falls it was closed off.
You can still sneak through the side of the fence, but because it was expressly forbidden, I did not walk in. Maybe if I had brought a helmet. But I brought my family along so I was not going to do any dangerous adventuring.
I had originally planned to fly a drone to get this shot of the cape above. It's like the most popular place to fly a drone on the north coast because this shot makes it look like a battleship. But because of the trail being closed and the fact there was a military base here I did not feel comfortable flying my drone.
I continued up the trail to get some good views.
View of part of the closed off trail that goes to the other side of the cape.
The trail goes right across the top of the cape here.
More of the cape trail.
Looking down at the military base, which has now been opened as a "pink base" tourist attraction. On the other side of the hill is the lighthouse, but the trail is closed off.
More of the trail.
Lot's of people taking selfies up here.
Get your selfie sticks ready for some incredible views of the ocean.
Another view of the trail from the other direction. This is where we stopped and went back to where we came from.
If you go further down the road, you can make it to Longdong (aka Dragon Caves -龍洞 Lóngdòng) which is a popular spot for snorkeling, scuba diving, and rock climbing. There is also a large sea cave there (pictured above).
You can book activities at Longdong such as Rock Climbing, Cave Draping, Diving, Snorkeling, SUPing, Freediving, and more on Klook here or KKday here. Check out our full guide to Longdong here. You can book a tour to Bitou Cape on KKday here or Klook here. 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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