Postcard Getaway

Experiencing the Charm of Xiao Liu Qiu Through Biking, Temples, Caves, and Snorkeling.

Written by Kaelie PIscitello

Riding through the small, streetlight-free roads of Xiao Liu Qiu in the loop encompassing the small island brought an elation I never thought I’d experience on a tandem bicycle. When my boyfriend and I first noticed the bike for two at the electric rentals shop, I joked that we should try it. After a moment, I thought, “No, really, we should try it.” 

A few minutes later, my boyfriend and I were practicing pedaling so we could ride to our hotel. The family that came in after us watched as we struggled to match our paces, and we all laughed. The vibrant fuschia and highlighter yellow made the bike seem more like a joke, but after a few minutes, my boyfriend and I felt ready to take on this island holiday.

Lover’s Tears

After checking into our hotel and reviewing the map, my boyfriend and I decided to take the main road and circle the island on our bike. We began by pedaling off to lunch, where we ordered two delectable stir-fry dishes: one with flavorful clams and the other with squid and a mix of vegetables. 

I noticed the menu mentioned “secret dishes” and asked the waiter about them. It turns out I translated wrong, and the plates were not “secret,” but customers can see them posted on the wall instead of on the menu. One plate, “lover’s tears,” consisted of a rice meal made with a kind of seafood that comes in with the tide when it rains. The translated name made me laugh, and so I tried the concoction of seaweed and small shrimps on rice. It tasted delicious.

Temples Galore

Xiao Liu Qiu has a new extravagant temple peeking around almost every street corner. Taiwan has built most of its temples recently, some in the 1800s and 1900s. The weekend I went to Xiao Liu Qiu, I saw several construction companies building new ones. 

One of my favorite things about Taiwan is they always build new places in the traditional architectural island. Many places worldwide do not do this, and Taiwan remains beautiful. Xiao Liu Qiu has many temples built in the traditional red color with rainbow decorations at the top. However, I also saw one painted in vivid pink and blue, making it stand out. 

Into the Caves

After visiting a few temples, my boyfriend and I biked a few minutes further to Black Devil Cave. I loved this spot because of its trail through the rocks and gorgeous rock formations made from preserved coral. I did not make it into one of the more cavernous loops because it made me feel claustrophobic, but overall, the scenery enticed me.

After walking through Black Cave, my boyfriend and I cycled on and came across Beauty Beach and its neighbor Beauty Cave across the street. I liked Black Devil Cave better because fewer people walked around, and I liked the sights better. However, Beauty Beach also had striking scenery and many fossilized rocks in different colors to examine. 

While I visited, I saw the famous Turtle Rock off in the distance. The tide came in when I arrived, so I could not go up to the rock. However, I thought the shape looked cool and snapped a quick selfie.

Down in the Ocean Blue

After cave hopping, my boyfriend and I clambered back onto the two-person bike and drove to Bear Diving where I would try snorkeling for the first time. We arrived early to find wetsuits and boots that fit well, and then we biked back to Beauty Beach with our instructor.

I never snorkeled before this and did not know what to expect. Our kind guide took many pictures as we put on our masks and ventured into the ocean. I struggled to get in at first because the land underwater at Beauty Beach drops right away. However, once I put my head underwater, it felt easier to see where to swim, and the deep, majestic sea looked incredible!

Almost immediately, I notice a giant sea-green turtle swimming below me. I did not expect the turtles to have such a large size, but they were wider than me! I got lucky on this adventure and saw 4-5 of them. My guide explained the tour he took earlier in the day spotted one, so I came at the prime time to see them.

Midway through, another snorkeler approached us with a dead octopus! I had never seen one live in the ocean before, and it startled me, but I felt okay once I realized it couldn’t hurt us. This snorkeling experience made me want to try SCUBA diving next time because the waves made me feel seasick when floating around above the water. I loved floating with the raft and peering below and next time I’d like to plunge to deeper depths.

The Way Home

The next day, I boarded the ferry back to Donggang Pier on mainland Taiwan. The ferry took much quicker than I expected it to. I sailed for about 30 minutes, which was the perfect amount of time because it didn’t leave me much time to get seasick out on the water.

Before leaving, I tried to get breakfast at a popular spot, but they had too long of a wait if I wanted to make the ferry. So, I settled for one final refreshing bowl of shaved ice before hitting the seas.