Taiwan's Only White Sandy Island – Penghu’s Hidden Gem & Idol Drama Filming Spot

Text & Photos /Buji

Summer always brings to mind the sea and sandy beaches. There's nothing quite like basking in the coolness under a bright blue sky with white clouds... Today, amidst the sweltering heat, I found myself nostalgically reminiscing about Xianjiao Islet (also known as "Bikini Island") in Penghu that I visited before. It’s truly a stunning place, one I hold dear to my heart—but unfortunately, it rarely gets mentioned online or in other media. So, I decided to write this piece to share it with everyone.

Xianjiao Islet is located in the waters of Penghu’s North Sea. Traveling by boat from Penghu Main Island (also known as “Chrysanthemum Island”) to Jibei Islet or Mubuyu will almost certainly take you past this strikingly beautiful white sandy island. Covering just 4 hectares, it is composed of pristine shell sand, coral fragments, and rocks, making it Taiwan’s only pearl-shell sand island. Moreover, as there’s only one household living on the island, it is also Taiwan’s one and only islet with a single residence.

Getting to Xianjiao Islet from Penghu Main Island is simple—just head to the “Mingyang” boat ticket counter at the “North Sea Visitor Service Center” to purchase your tickets (you must call ahead to reserve tickets, and if you plan on doing any water activities on the island, Mingyang is currently your only option... see details at the end of the article). Once you’ve got your ticket, you can board the boat directly from the dock outside the visitor center.

The weather that day was perfect. Under the azure sky, our group set off aboard the white speedboat shown above, riding the waves. The Mingyang speedboat doesn’t only go to Xianjiao Islet—it’s a round-trip vessel between Jibei and the main island, with Xianjiao Islet being just one of the stops along the way. As long as you have a ticket to Xianjiao Islet, you can ride the boat for free to Jibei Islet after your visit, and then return to Penghu Main Island afterward.

In less than 10 minutes, we arrived at our destination—what a sight awaited us: snow-white sand and crystal-clear turquoise-blue waters. The moment we saw it, the whole group gasped in awe. I think anyone would be moved to praise such beauty.

At that time, construction was underway on the island, so we could see excavators actively working on the site... But that was two or three years ago, and it in no way dampened our mood. The beach alone was more than enough to keep us entertained, and you’d really have to look around to notice the construction area. The scenery should be back to normal now.

The island’s surrounding waters are dotted with hidden reefs, so passing boats need to be especially cautious to avoid grounding or running aground. That’s why it’s called “Xianjiao Islet” (Dangerous Reef Islet), to warn seafarers. As for why it’s also known as “Bikini Island,” I’m not entirely sure—but I guess it’s because the beach and sea here are so beautiful that wearing a bikini for photos here would look amazing no matter how you shoot it XD.

The moment we disembarked, we were captivated by the scenery. I couldn’t stop clicking my camera—the gradient hues of the seawater, the yellowish-white sand, the blue sky and white clouds—it was all just so beautiful. Just lying under an umbrella, gazing into space, felt incredibly relaxing for all of us.

Aside from the blue skies, sea, and white sands, the rows of small wooden cabins on the island are also very eye-catching. For those wishing to stay overnight, advance reservations are recommended. The cabins are super charming—white bodies with blue roofs, everything very summery. By the way, the idol drama *Summer of Pure Flavor* was filmed here, and the iconic blue cabin from the show is still on the island, though I didn’t manage to get a photo of it...

You can also find shade under the cabins or even pitch a tent there.

Among the many cabins, there is an open-air water activity service center. Before taking part in any water activities, visitors must first come here to rent life vests. If you’re tired of playing on the beach and don’t want to rest under the nearby umbrellas, you can also lounge on the chairs here. There are lockers available for storage, and they also sell some simple hot snacks, like sausages, toast with meat, water, etc.

Since I had also pre-purchased water activity tickets when buying the boat pass, once we arrived at Xianjiao Islet, I could enjoy all the water activities unlimited times. There were choices like banana boats, donut rides, jet skis, tanks, and snorkeling. And because there weren’t many visitors—just a handful—you could pretty much do each activity as many times as you liked. (If you want to do water activities on Xianjiao Islet, you can only go with Mingyang boats ORZ because they hold the operating rights on the island; other operators do not...)

Each activity has its own little signboard. Those interested just queue up in front of the respective sign. Each board only had one or two people in front of it, so doing water activities here feels much more relaxing than on crowded Jibei Islet.

The snorkeling area is separated from the other activities. Remember, at fixed times, an instructor leads everyone by holding a rope for a group snorkeling session—it seems to happen once or twice an hour. When I went snorkeling, I didn’t wear contacts due to my poor eyesight, so everything was just a blur in front of me. A bit of a bummer.

There are rows of umbrellas and tables and chairs by the beach for visitors to place their belongings or take a break. When the sun gets a bit too strong, cooling down in the shade with a breeze is simply delightful.

If you still feel too hot even under the umbrella, head over to the small wooden cabin at the activity service center for some shade.

It’s not just equipped with regular tables and chairs but also has lounge chairs. Lying there, I almost dozed off.

The white-painted wood is covered in messages left by visitors.

I genuinely think this kind of beauty rivals that of overseas destinations—it’s so healing.

Oh, and one more thing to note: the sand here is shell sand, not the ultra-fine powder-like sand you’d find on beaches like Boracay. It’s slightly coarse, similar to the feeling of the sand at Kenting’s White Sand Bay. It’s best to wear sandals or flip-flops on the beach—walking barefoot can feel a bit prickly.

Overall, I really love Penghu, and I love Xianjiao Islet even more. I’d rank it among the top most beautiful small islands in Taiwan that I’ve been to. But since the island is quite small, you can probably spend around 3–4 hours here (longer if you do water activities), then it’s time to head to Jibei Islet. However, if you’re as laid-back and enjoy just relaxing as I am, you could easily spend almost a full day here. I really miss that beautiful beach.

If you’re doing a half-day trip, I’d suggest coming here in the morning to enjoy the sea and water activities, then heading to Jibei Islet in the afternoon—you can either stay overnight there or return to Penghu Main Island the same day. Alternatively, Buji thinks you could also come to Xianjiao Islet in the afternoon, enjoy the water, and stay overnight. The island has no light pollution at night, so stargazing must be amazing. Next time I go to Penghu, I want to stay overnight on Xianjiao Islet. Sharing this info for your reference Up.

※ Xianjiao Islet Information
How to Get to Xianjiao Islet: Purchase boat tickets at the North Sea Visitor Center in Penghu’s Chrysanthemum area. If you want to do water activities on Xianjiao Islet, you must take a boat operated by Mingyang (book in advance by calling customer service); the boat ride takes no more than 15 minutes.
Customer Service Phone: 06-9932362.
Accommodation on the Island: For information and pricing, see the official website—reservations are also made via phone (their booking system is a bit outdated, honestly...)
Official website:http://www.bikinis.com.tw/index.asp?au_id=2 (The official website is a bit basic... and the prices listed there are actually higher than the verbal quotes over the phone... so it's best to confirm the prices in advance)

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