Article & Photography / Lee Hsin-yi

On a sweltering summer day, you want to snorkel, take a yacht out to ride the waves, chow down on juicy meat, and enjoy ice-cold treats. The nearby Northeast Coast fits all these desires perfectly. The well-preserved Longdong Bay offers a sea floor where you can see starfish and sea urchins, along with operators who care deeply for this marine environment. For cycling enthusiasts, the popular activity of biking through the cool grass tunnels of the old Shueiliang Railway offers a refreshing ride. And don’t miss the peanut wrap ice cream commonly found in the Northeast Coast Scenic Area—sample everything from yam ice cream that’s earned a solid reputation from wholesalers to South African-style BBQ paired with local fruit wine, all helping to beat the summer heat under the night sky.

1. Cool Fun:

1. Snorkeling at Sea

Longdong Bay Marine Park

Longdong Bay Marine Park has been operating in the Northeast Coast for five years now. Diving instructor Yin Decheng shares that when they first started in the area, visitors would be snorkeling while others used nets to catch marine creatures—a bittersweet start to conservation efforts. Fortunately, those days are gone, and the abundance of underwater life now rivals that of Orchid Island and Green Island. Divers often bring up fascinating finds like bread crumb starfish, haltered sea cucumbers, and horse dung sea urchins, which delight children and draw crowds eager to take photos, while staff provide insights into the marine life. This, I think, is what Taiwan—as an oceanic nation—should really be like!

Yin Decheng, a diving instructor for over 30 years who also participates in rescue training, laments that although Taiwan is an oceanic nation, its marine education still lags behind other countries. Each summer sees numerous accidents due to lack of awareness and even less preparedness for rescue. Therefore, before visitors go snorkeling in the park, they must first attend a 15-minute diving lesson—covering how to properly wear a mask, choose materials, and correctly throw a lifebuoy—followed by another 15-minute pool session. Only after mastering the basics are they allowed to snorkel in the sea.

Compared to other snorkeling spots around Taiwan, the most precious feature of the Northeast Coast waters is its rich variety of algae. As the foundation of marine ecosystems, algae foster diverse sea life, including common brown, blue, green, and red algae, as well as species like snappers that thrive here. Thanks to the area’s abundant seaweed, dishes like agar jelly and cold seaweed salads are staples at seaside restaurants—so the top recommended local specialties are agar jelly and cold kelp salad. In addition to the carefully designed shallow and deep diving zones, there’s also a restored small mullet ecological pond with an open design, allowing nearly a thousand mullets to swim freely. Visitors can dip their feet in and let the mullets gently nibble away dead skin.