Xiaoliuqiu: getting there, sea turtles and key tips

Take Tourist Shuttle 9127D from Zuoying high-speed rail station to Donggang, then a ferry of about 30 minutes. Stay a night, so you can catch low tide for the tide pools, and rent an electric scooter or e-bike on the island.

How long have you got?

• A day trip: snorkel with the turtles and see the caves.Tip On holidays and in summer, leave two to three hours for the shuttle back to high-speed rail.1Taiwan Tourist Shuttle (opens in a new tab)taiwantrip.com.tw
• A night: add a guided tide-pool walk at low tide, and sunset on the west coast.

When are you going?

• May to September: land crabs come down to the sea to release their larvae. Roads in crab areas close to vehicles from 19:00 to 22:00, and a stretch near Beauty Cave is walking only.2Dapeng Bay NSA (opens in a new tab)dbnsa.gov.tw
• Winter: the island is sheltered from the strong northeast monsoon.3Dapeng Bay NSA (opens in a new tab)dbnsa.gov.tw

Top things to do

• Snorkelling with sea turtles: stay at least 5 m away, and don’t touch, chase, surround or feed them; you can be fined.Tip Use reef-safe sunscreen, and book with a registered operator.4Dapeng Bay NSA (opens in a new tab)dbnsa.gov.tw
• Tide pools: best within an hour of low tide. Entry costs a NT$60 conservation fee.Tip Book a guided tour through the Liuqiu intertidal conservation website.5Dapeng Bay NSA (opens in a new tab)dbnsa.gov.tw
• Beauty Cave, Wild Boar Trench and Black Dwarf Cave: coral caves and coastal paths. Beauty Cave opens 07:00 to 18:00 from April to October, and 07:30 to 17:00 in winter.6Tourism Administration (opens in a new tab)eng.taiwan.net.tw
• Vase Rock: a coral pillar off the shore.7Dapeng Bay NSA (opens in a new tab)dbnsa.gov.tw

Hidden gems

• White Lighthouse: built in 1929 on a hilltop 88 m up, and the only lighthouse in Taiwan paid for by a fishermen’s association. Open all day.8Tourism Administration (opens in a new tab)eng.taiwan.net.tw

Getting there and around

• Shuttle 9127D: from Zuoying high-speed rail station to the Dongliu Line Pier in Donggang, NT$122, or NT$250 return if booked online. Buy at the counter at exit 2.9Taiwan Tourist Shuttle (opens in a new tab)taiwantrip.com.tw
• Ferries: Dongliu Line, TF Express and Leuco Sapphire sail from Donggang. The Yanpu route has been suspended since November 2025.10Dapeng Bay NSA (opens in a new tab)dbnsa.gov.tw
• On the island: electric scooters, e-bikes and the 601 bus, with a NT$100 day pass bought on board.11Dapeng Bay NSA (opens in a new tab)dbnsa.gov.twrentals (opens in a new tab)dbnsa.gov.tw

If it doesn’t go to plan

• Ferries cancelled? Rough seas and typhoons stop all sailings, as during Typhoon Champi in October 2026.12Focus Taiwan (opens in a new tab)focustaiwan.tw Switch to Kaohsiung or Kenting.
• Stuck on the island? Call the Liuqiu Management Station on +886 8 861 4615.13Tourism Administration (opens in a new tab)eng.taiwan.net.tw