A Guide to Kenting National Park at the Southern Tip of Taiwan

Kenting National Park is Taiwan’s oldest national park. For Taiwanese, Kenting (墾丁, pronounced ken ding) is synonymous with beaches, water activities, April long weekend, and partying.

Kenting is the closest thing Taiwan has to a beach town. There’s nowhere else in the country where you can see night market vendors wearing beach attire as they mix cocktails, with techno music blasting from loudspeakers behind them (see my Kenting Night Market guide for that!)

But there’s more to Kenting that the above – including some stunning coastal scenery, hiking trails, waterfalls, and wildlife.

Kenting is one of my favorite places to visit in Taiwan. I’ve been there half a dozen times, several of those for going to Spring Scream music festival (which no longer exists, but helped to make Kenting famous).

In this article, I’ll cover it all – how many days you need, how to get there, things to do, the best beaches, activities, tours, and what to eat. I’ll also recommend the best hotels and resorts at each beach, or you visit my guide to where to stay in Kenting.

Kenting National Park Introduction

Kenting National Park occupies the tip of Hengchun Peninsula in Hengchun Township of Pingtung County.

Hengchun (恆春) is the main town in the area and most visitors drive through it just before reaching the famous beaches of Kenting, including Kenting Main Beach, the location of Kenting Night Market.

Hengchun is known for its old city wall (恆春縣城, built 1879) with four ancient gates, some of the best preserved ones in all of Taiwan.

In 1883, Eluanbi lighthouse was built at the southern tip of Taiwan, after many shipwrecks occurred there. It one of the few fortified lighthouses in the word – it has a protective wall due to regular attacks by local aboriginal tribes after it was first built.

Kenting National Park was established on January 1, 1984, making it the first one in modern Taiwan (earlier, the Japanese had made a national park in what is now Taroko National Park).

Kenting reached peak popularity among locals in the 2000s and early 2010s. During that time, it became the party capital of Taiwan for the 4-day April long weekend. Taiwanese would flock there for Spring Scream (春吶), an alternative rock music festival.

Over time, other festivals and beach parties popped up on the same weekend, including the electronic music-focused Spring Wave.

In 2008, the Taiwanese film Cape No. 7 (海角七號) was filmed in Kenting. Then in 2012, scenes in Ang Lee’s Life of Pi were also filmed there (Lee himself, one of the most famous people from Taiwan, was born in Pingtung) These made Kenting even more popular.

Around the mid 2010s, Kenting’s popularity started declining. As rock music became less popular, Spring Scream music festival tapered off. I went to a few of the last ones, and it was tiny compared to earlier years. In 2016, Spring Wave was held in Taipei instead of Kenting.

As budget flights from Taiwan to Japan proliferated, many Taiwanese started choosing Japan instead of Kenting for their holidays – they price of getting to Japan from Taipei is often cheaper! (see my list of budget flights)

To keep the music festival tradition alive, the Pingtung government now puts on the free Taiwan Music Festival (台灣祭) on the main beach in Kenting during April long weekend. Kenting remains popular, but just not quite as popular as it used to be.

Kenting Orientation

Most people access Kenting from Kaohsiung on the west coast of Taiwan. Even if you’re coming from Taitung on the east coast, you’ll most likely cross over to the main road on the west coast to get down to Kenting.

Going south down the west coast, you’ll go through Checheng and Hengchun. There are a few attractions in and near Hengchun, including a weekend night market, old city gates, and capybara and sika deer parks.

Kenting National Museum of Marine Biology (Kenting Aquarium) is on the coast west of Hengchun. Although it’s quite a ways from other sights in Kenting, it’s part of the national park – a thin strip of national park extends up the coast to it.

Shortly after Hengchun, the highway enters the national park and reaches Nanwan (a small but popular beach) and then Kenting Main Beach.

This is Kenting’s largest beach community. Taiwanese call “墾丁大街” (“Kenting Main Street”) or 墾丁大灣 (“Kenting Big Bay”). It is home to Kenting Night Market and the largest concentration of restaurants and hotels in the national park.

Just north (inland) from Kenting Main Beach, Kenting National Forest Recreation Area (墾丁國家森林遊樂區) has some cool walks and caves.  

Snorkeling and scuba diving tours take place near the seafood harbour called Houbihu (後壁湖), which is west of Nanwan and Kenting Main Beach.

East of Kenting Main Beach, the next points of interest are Xiaowan (a small beach with beach bar and a couple resorts), Sail Rock Beach, and Eluanbi Lighthouse.

After Eluanbi, the highway follows the coast north to some lovely coastal lookouts called Longpan and Fengchuishan. After a remote surfing beach called Gangkou, the highway veers inland for a big loop back to Hengchun – I’ll recommend a cool waterfall with natural infinity pool around here.

When to Go

Because Kenting lies in the tropical south of Taiwan, it’s warm enough to swim in the ocean-year round. Come in winter and you’ll find the beaches pleasantly crowd-free.

The 4-day long weekend at the beginning of April is the busiest weekend of the year in Kenting (read my guide to visiting Taiwan in April). That’s when Taiwan Music Festival takes places and when many Taiwanese go for a mini spring break. It can already be very hot in Kenting my April.

From April till the end of summer, Kenting remains busy, especially on weekends, then it tapers off again in fall. Try to come on weekdays for less crowds and lower room rates.

Like anywhere in Taiwan, Kenting can be affected by typhoons anytime from July to October.

How Much Time Do You “Need” for Kenting?

In my Taiwan Travel Planning group, travelers often ask how much time they need for Kenting. My answer to that is – how long do you want to spend on a beach? For me, I could happily spend a week just suntanning and drinking on the beach every day.

If you’re just going to squeeze one night in Kenting into your itinerary, I don’t think it’s worth the trip. If you’re coming here mainly to add some beach time to your otherwise busy Taiwan itinerary, then give yourself at least one full day for the beach (i.e. spend two nights in Kenting).

Add one more full day if you want to do any sightseeing, such as Kenting Aquarium, animal places, hiking, Eluanbi lighthouse, etc). In other words, I think 3 nights (2 full days) is the ideal amount of time for enjoying Kenting’s attractions and beaches.

And if you’re staying in a nice resort with a pool, make sure to also include some time to actually enjoy the resort’s facilities – otherwise, why bother?

A Note about Expectations

Even though Kenting is said to have the best beaches in Taiwan (personally I think the offshore islands like Penghu have even better ones), you can’t compare them to beaches in countries like Thailand or the Philippines. Taiwan is known for many things, but beaches are not at the top of the list.

Kenting Main Beach is pretty, but you aren’t even allowed to swim there. And for beaches where you can swim (Baishawan, Nanwan, Xiaowan, and Sail Rock), on busy days they are usually packed with people, umbrellas, noisy jet skis, and so on.

Even though Kenting is a national park, don’t be surprised if you see some garbage on the beach, some corrugated metal roofs blown off my typhoons, and mass tourism activities, like go-karting (see here), animals zoos (see here and here), banana boats (see here), and so on.

As for water activities, the snorkeling, scuba, and surfing in Kenting is just OK, not great. Try Green Island for better snorkeling and scuba. For surfing, I’ll recommend a good spot at the end of this article, or try Dulan area of Taitung for a better surfing scene.

So why still come to Kenting? For me, I still love Kenting for its stunning coastal scenery. Nothing beats riding a bike, electric bicycle, or scooter along it.

I also enjoy love the casual and party-esque vibes (don’t expect anything too crazy!) in Kenting town and seeing Taiwanese let loose on their holidays.

I think it’s important to enjoy Kenting for what it is, and don’t compare it to other places with more stunning beaches (it won’t win) or more engrained beach culture (like almost anywhere in Southeast Asia).

Getting to Kenting

Kenting is not on the main train line around Taiwan. If you go, consider it as small detour from your round-Taiwan loop, or a “beach break” in your otherwise rushed itinerary.

By Car or Scooter

If you’ve rented a car (I recommend renting here), the drive from Kaohsiung to Kenting usually takes about 1.5 hours, but can take as long as 3 hours during peak traffic (holidays, rush hour, etc.) See my guide to driving in Taiwan.

You can also rent a scooter in Kaohsiung here. Expect it to take a bit longer to reach Kenting by scooter than by car.

Note: I once tried to rent a scooter in Fangliao (after taking the train over from Taitung), but wasn’t able to find a shop there willing to rent one to me (even though I have a Taiwanese license).

If you’re driving from Taitung on the east coast, the fastest way is to take Highway 9 across the island to the west coast, and travel south from there.

A slower but scenic route from Taitung is to take a combination of small roads, including 199, 26, and 200 down to the eastern end of Kenting. There are almost no people or signs of civilization on this route. The road is sometimes very narrow, but cars can still fit. And it even passes through a small desert!

You can also hire a driver to explore Kenting or take this Kenting day tour from Kaohsiung.

By Public Transportation

The best way to get to Kenting is to take the HSR to Zuoying station in Kaohsiung (see my HSR guide and order discounted tickets here) then ride the Kenting Express shuttle bus to Kenting (order tickets here).

The traveling time to Kenting by bus is around 2 hours, but it can take longer on busy days. You can see the bus schedule here. Redeem your voucher or buy tickets from the Kenting Express Counter near Exit 2 of the HSR station.

Taxi drivers often hang out around the station trying to entice passengers. They’ll sell one seat in a shared taxi for around TWD 600, about double the price of the bus.

If there’s a long wait for the bus, it’s not a bad deal. Usually, they drive quite fast (like borderline dangerously fast) so they can squeeze in more trips in one day. I’ve done this several times with my friends – we don’t mind splurging on the ride for those extra hours on the beach.

From central Kaohsiung city, it’s still going to be fastest if you ride the MRT to Zuoying then catch the Kenting Express from there. However, another option is to ride the TRA train from Kaohsiung station to Fangliao then catch the Kenting shuttle from there.

If you’re coming from Hualien or Taitung on the east coast, ride the train to Fangliao, then board the Kenting Express shuttle bus there. Exit the train station, walk straight to the main street, turn left, and purchase a ticket from the bus station here. Then you’ll need to cross the street and wait for the Kenting bus here.

There are a few direct trains from places on the east coast to Fangliao. However, you’ll get more time options if you buy two separate tickets – point A (such as Hualien or Chishang) to Taitung station, and then Taitung to Fangliao. That’s because some trains only do the east coast. See my guide to buying train tickets in Taiwan for more info.

Getting Around Kenting

For some holidaymakers, just choosing one beach and staying there is sufficient. However, if you want to do some sightseeing in the area or visit multiple beaches, you’ll need to take the bus or drive between them.

Kenting Shuttle Buses

Besides the Kenting Express shuttle from Kaohsiung, there is a network of shuttle buses which ply the Kenting area.

There are four shuttle bus lines, with three of them meeting in Hengchun (see route map above). You can buy a one/two-day pass on the same Klook page as the Kenting Express bus from Kaohsiung, or you can swipe EasyCard to ride the buses.

Here’s a table showing the bus lines and their main stops:

Shuttle Bus Line	Main Stops
Kenting Express (9189)	Zuoying HSR station (Kaohsiung), Checheng, Hengchun, Nanwan, Kenting Main Beach, Xiaowan, Sail Rock Beach, Eluanbi Lighthouse
Orange (101)	Kenting Aquarium (O7), Hengchun, Nanwan (O33), Kenting Main Beach (O39), Xiaowan (O44), Sail Rock Beach (O48), Eluanbi Lighthouse (O52)
Blue (102)	Hengchun, Baishawan (B11), Maobitou (B14), Houbihu Harbor (B16), Kenting Main Beach (B31), Xiaowan (B36)
Green (103)	Hengchun, Chunxing Intersection (G6, for Qikong Waterfall), Chashan (G13, for Gangkou Surfing Beach), Jialeshui (G17)
Yellow (201)	Kenting Aquarium (Y1), Checheng (Y9), Sichongxi (Y15, a park with hot springs)

Renting a Bike or Scooter

There are many shops hiring out bicycles, electric scooters, and regular scooters on Kenting Main Street. Book your scooter in advance here. A license is not required for the electric scooters, but they won’t be powerful enough to get you up the steep hill to Kenting National Forest Recreation Area or to travel very far.

For regular scooters, like anywhere in Taiwan, you will most likely need and International Driver’s Permit (IDP), and some shops may additionally require proof that you are licensed to drive motorcycles in your home country (either an A stamp on the IDP or motorcycle endorsement on your home license).

Main Beaches (and where to stay at each one)

Here I’ll introduce the five main beaches in Kenting from west to east, plus my recommended hotels at each one.

Baishawan Beach

Baishawan (墾丁白沙灣, not to be confused with Baishawan in New Taipei City) literally means “white sand beach” even though sand is actually golden. It is the westernmost main beach in Kenting National Park.

Because it is a 10 to 15-minute drive off the main highway to, Baishwan is more off-the-beaten-track than the other main beaches. There are only about half a dozen guesthouses here and a couple restaurants – that’s it.

This beach’s main claim to fame is that some scenes from Life of Pi were shot here. When it’s not busy, I personally think it’s the most beautiful of Kenting’s main beaches – that’s why I chose it for my list of best beaches in Taiwan.

However, don’t expect anything too pristine. At busy times, this beach still has umbrellas, water activities, and crowds, just like all the other beaches at Kenting. But it does retain a more remote and less “resorty” vibe than the others.

If you’re driving or taking the bus from Kenting Main Beach to Kenting Aquarium, you could make a stop at Baishawan on the way.

Baishawan is on the Kenting shuttle bus Blue Line, between Hengchun and Nanwan/Kenting Main Beach.

Where to Stay

I recommend Baisha 31 B&B (see on Booking / Agoda), a friendly guesthouse which is only a short walk from the beach.

South Bay (Nanwan)

South Bay (南灣 or Nanwan) is right at the point where the highway from Kaohsiung and Hengchun reaches the coast in Kenting National Park.

This beach is very popular for lounging under an umbrella, swimming, and beach activities like banana boats, jet skis, and surfing (waves are small though).

There are also a couple bars right on the beach (this one and this one). Overall, even though there are no big resorts near this beach, the beach itself has beach resort vibes.

The beach is pretty but can get very crowded at peak times. Another downside is the large nuclear power plant visible on the right side of the bay – maybe try not to think about it…

With several great B&Bs and hostels, a few restaurants, and a 7-Eleven right across the street, Nanwan has everything you need for a relaxing beach holiday.

If you want to go into Kenting main town for the night market, that will be just 10 minutes on any bus passing by. Buses run till late.

The Kenting Express from Kaohsiung will stop at Nanwan. It’s also on the Orange and Blue shuttle bus lines.

Where to Stay

There are 20+ small B&Bs and hostels right across the highway from the beach. Most have options with balconies facing the sea.

The First Nanwan Hostel (see on Booking / Agoda) has capsule-style dorms, while Meet You Nanwan (see on Booking / Agoda) is a kid-friendly choice.

For a reliable guesthouse with balcony rooms, try Cat at Greece (see on Booking / Agoda), Summer Delight (see on Booking / Agoda), or Pii Hostel (see on Booking / Agoda). The latter also has a five-bedroom house for available for groups.

Kenting Main Beach & Night Market

Often when people say “Kenting”, they are referring to the main town and beach here. This is the largest community in the national park and its longest beach.

Notably, though, you are technically not allowed to swim at this beach. This means the beach is also pleasantly free of umbrellas, jet skis, and so on. If you play in the water a little, especially at the beach’s far ends, probably nobody will say anything. Just be careful, as the tides can be strong and there’s no lifeguard.

Kenting Village lines both sides of the highway a few blocks inland from the eastern half of the beach. There you’ll find dozens of hotels, restaurants, shops, and bars.

At night, the street comes alive with Kenting Night Market every night of the year. Besides the usual night market snacks, you’ll also find at least a dozen cocktail stalls, which often blast techno music to set the vibe.

At the eastern end of the night market near Xiaowan (see next section), there’s a more chill vibe. Several food and cocktail trucks play reggae music, with seating available.

On a normal night, the night market isn’t too crowded. But on April long weekend or other busy weekends, the crowds can become so thick that they take over the whole highway.

The Kenting Express from Kaohsiung passes through town, with a few different stops you can get off at, plus the Orange and Blue shuttle bus lines.

Where to Stay

At the quieter western end of the beach, Chateau Beach Resort (see on Booking / Agoda) is the only major hotel in Kenting that is actually right on the beach. It has a pool and bar facing the beach. However, its facilities are getting old.

On my most recent visit, I had a great stay at Kenting Moon Bay Hotel 月彎灣渡假旅店 (see on Booking / Agoda), on a quiet street right across from the beach. Although my balcony had a sea view, I had to walk a ways down to access the beach due to a fence and stream between the hotel and the beach.

In town along the highway, Kenting Space Capsule (see on Booking / Agoda) is a hostel option with cool space theme.

Gloria Manor (see on Booking / Agoda) is one of the top luxury hotels in Taiwan. It’s not right in town but in a secluded spot up the hill towards Kenting National Forest Recreation Area. It has a pool and overlooks Kenting’s iconic Mount Dajian.

For family-friendly resorts, consider Xiaowan (see next section), which is right at the end of Kenting Main Street.

Xiaowan

I put Xiaowan (小灣 or “Little Bay”) in its own entry, but it’s just a few steps past the end of Kenting Main Street. Xiaowan is a small beach just east of Kenting Main Beach, with a small peninsula between them called Frog Rock (青蛙石).

Two big resorts are here. Both of them have private paths or tunnels under the highway to Xiaowan beach. However, the public can also access and use the beach by taking a small flight of stairs down from the highway – watch for the sign that says 小灣沙灘 on an upright surfboard.

Swimming is allowed at this beach and there’s a small bar on the beach. It’s romantic at night.

For a small adventure, walk from Kenting Main Beach to Lover’s Beach (情人灘 here), a small hidden beach on the peninsula between Main Beach and Xiaowan.

The Kenting Express from Kaohsiung goes here, plus the Orange and Blue shuttle bus lines.

Where to Stay

There are two resorts at Xiaowan: Caesar Park Kenting (see on Booking / Agoda) and Howard Beach Resort Kenting (see on Booking / Agoda).

Both resorts have seen better days, but between the two of them, Caesar Park is a little nicer. The resorts are right next to each other, with Caesar Park being the closer one to town – it only takes 5 minutes on foot to reach the eastern end of Kenting Night Market.

Both resorts are kid-friendly, with lots of activities, swimming pool, and beach access.

Sail Rock Beach

Sail Rock Beach (船帆石沙灘 or Chuanfan Beach) is named after a large sail-shaped coastal outcrop 500 meters down the coast from the beach.

This beach is similar to South Bay in terms of size, popularity, and amenities – meaning it can also get quite crowded at busy times. It also has one 7-Eleven and 20+ B&Bs across the highway from it, plus a few resort options.

One downside here is that it’s a little further away – you’ll have to travel past Kenting Main Street to get here. But as a result, it does feel a little more away from it all than South Bay or Main Beach.

The Kenting Express from Kaohsiung goes here, as well as the Orange shuttle bus line.

Where to Stay

For a guesthouse with sea-facing balconies, Sasa Nor Lamour B&B (see on Booking / Agoda) is right across from the beach. For a more secluded option, Hotel Everyday Life (see on Booking / Agoda) is further down the coast near Sail Rock, but rooms also have sea views.

Kenting 4 Sisters Hotel (see on Booking / Agoda) is a beautiful property with amazing views. It’s a little ways from the beach, but they offer a shuttle. Guests rave about the amazing breakfast.

Fullon Resort (see on Booking / Agoda) is a resort option with pool. Red Garden Resort (see on Booking / Agoda) has Balinese vibes.

Other Things to Do in Kenting National Park

Besides the beaches, here are some more fun things to do in Kenting. Again I’ll cover these in the order you’d encounter them coming in from Kaohsiung.

National Museum of Marine Biology

Kenting Museum of Marine Biology (國立海洋生物博物館), also commonly called Kenting Aquarium, is Taiwan’s largest aquarium.

The aquarium is in a remote spot on the coast west of Hengchun.

Some highlights of the aquarium include whale-shaped water fountains for kids to play in, a simulated underwater shipwreck, sea stars and hermit crabs you can touch, beluga whales, and a giant tank filled with sharks and rays.

I personally found this aquarium to be a little dated (Xpark in Taoyuan is smaller but has much newer facilities).

A lot of facilities here looked quite old or were out of order when I visited. The huge water tank was darker and murkier than the one at Xpark, so it was harder to get a good picture of it. Yes, this aquarium is huge, but I found a lot of space there is just filler.

From Kenting Main Street, it’s a 30-minute drive or 45-minute bus ride on the Orange Line.

If you do make the trip out there, book your tickets online here. They also offer a penguin encounter and overnight sleepover experience.

Kenting Capybara Park

The small Capybara Park (墾丁鹿ㄦ島水豚生態園區, location) is outside the national park, just before Hengchun when you’re driving down from Kaohsiung. It is one of the best places in Taiwan to meet capybaras, the world’s largest rodent.

This was probably my best capybara experience in Taiwan – it’s nowhere near as busy as Zhang Mei Ama’s Farm in Yilan.

Besides interacting with and feeding the capybaras, you can see sika deer, giant tortoises, and a dedicated capybara shrine. And unlike any other capybara place in Taiwan, you can swim with the capybaras here (extra fee). Book your tickets here.

Paradise of Deer

Near the capybara place, there’s also this similar and longer-running one called Paradise of Deer (鹿境梅花鹿生態園區, location) focusing mainly on sika deer, but they also have a few capybaras.

Note that if you’re visiting with kids, the deer can be a little aggressive as they try to get food from the tourists. My kids didn’t love visiting them because of this. The capybaras are actually much more chill.

There are some cute deer stuffies for sale. You can book tickets online here.

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Houbihu

If you join any snorkeling tour (like this one) or scuba diving (like this one), they will most likely take you to the shore just south of Houbihu Seafood Harbor (後壁湖), not to one of the beaches in Kenting, where the waves are too big.

The main snorkeling and scuba spots are here, here, and at Little Bali (小巴里島岩), which is also a semi-secret swimming spot.

Maobitou Park

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Kenting is Maobitou Park (貓鼻頭公園). Mao (貓) means cat, so there’s a large cat statue here (and I found a couple live cats lazing around, too).

The view from the observation deck is nice. You can see the most of the Kenting coastline from here on a clear day. When I visited, this place was busy with busloads of domestic tourists, so I didn’t love it.

There’s a TWD 30 entry fee. You can get there on the shuttle bus Blue Line.

Guanshan Sunset Viewing Park

Many local visitors go to Guanshan Sunset Viewing Park (關山夕照觀景園) to watch the sunset. This is an elevated spot between Baishawan and Kenting Aquarium.

After reading the reviews, I decided not to bother. You need to pay and it sounds like it gets crowded. You can only get here by car or scooter.

I once enjoyed a lovely sunset view from Eluanbi Lighthouse (see below), which is also on a hill with view down the coast, so that is a decent sunset alternative which is accessible by bus.

Otherwise, sunset is a nice time to be on pretty much any beach in Kenting, though all of them face south.

Kenting National Forest Recreation Area

Kenting National Forest Recreation Area (墾丁國家森林遊樂區) is a beautiful slice of pristine nature only a few minutes’ drive from Kenting village.

The large park features walking paths through the jungle (I spotted several macaques and huge butterflies!)

The forest here is growing atop an uplifted coral reef with unique karst topography. This includes some cool coral reef tunnels and caves – the most impressive of which is Fairy Cave.

There’s also a elevated Viewing Tower. It provides an expansive view looking down on the jungle canopy, coast, and mountains in all directions, including iconic Mt. Dajian. There’s even a small restaurant with a view inside.

It takes 1-2 hours to walk to the above two spots and back to the entrance, or longer if you visit even more caves and features in the park. Entrance is TWD 150.

Unfortunately, you’ll need a car or scooter to get here. Buses don’t go and it’s too steep for electric bicycles.

Shadao Ecological Reserve

Between Sail Rock Beach and Eluanbi Lighthouse, you’ll notice a small parking lot for Shadao Ecological Reserve (砂島生態保護區). The parking lot here overlooks a stunning, pristine beach which is inaccessible to the public. It is a nesting ground for sea turtles and other wildlife.

Although you can’t get to the beach, the coast in front of the parking lot is fun to explore. There are rows upon rows of coral pools here where you can spot crabs or even (carefully, as the coral is sharp) take a dip in the water.

Once many years ago, when my friends and I were hungover between two days at Spring Scream music festival, we spent a whole day lazing in the sun and pools here. And yes, we all got sun burns.

Eluanbi Lighthouse

Eluanbi Lighthouse (鵝鑾鼻燈塔) is a historic lighthouse dating to 1883. The fortified white lighthouse a symbol of Kenting and one of the most recognizable landmarks in Taiwan.

While you can’t enter the lighthouse itself, the hill-top park around it offers stunning views down the coast – these are the grounds where the legendary Spring Scream music festival used to be held.

There are several trails down to lookouts beside the sea, including one to the actual southernmost point of mainland Taiwan. Entrance to the area is TWD 60 and there’s a huge parking lot with some small shops and a 7-11 just around the corner.

One trail leads to Longkeng Ecological Reserve (龍坑生態保護區), but this can only be visited on a guided tour. Bookings can be made here (Mandarin only).

There are a few small B&Bs near the lighthouse – we used to stay in them for going to Spring Scream, but today I wouldn’t stay here because there’s no beach nearby. There are several campgrounds near the lighthouse – search 露營區 on GoogleMaps to find them.

Eluanbi the last stop of the Kenting Express from Kaohsiung and the Orange shuttle bus line before they turn around and go back.

Longpan Park

Just up the coast as it veers north from Eluanbi, Longpan Park (龍磐公園) has a small boardwalk trail to an amazing view up coast. It’s a must-stop, but once you’ve seen the view, that’s about it.

None of the Kenting shuttle buses come here or to the next spot. There’s an infrequent bus from Hengchun (only 3 per day) – in other words, the only viable way to get here is to drive or ride a bike.

Fengchuisha

Fengchuisha (風吹沙) offers another fine view further up the coast. There are beautiful coastal sand dunes here. Once when I visited many years ago, the sand dune were even blowing onto the highway.

Gangkou & Jialeshui

Not many visitors make it past Fengchuisha these days, especially ever since Gangkou Suspension Bridge (港口吊橋) further up the coast closed. When I visited Kenting for the first time in 2008 with my friends, we rode scooters up to this point (see below pic).

On my most recent trip, I had a look, and the once popular bridge is totally falling apart, so I don’t know if it will ever be fixed.

There’s a small and remote surfing community at Gangkou Beach (港口海灘). Try this surf hostel if you want to check it out. Swimming is not allowed on the beach, but this spot has the best surfing in Kenting.

You can get there on the Green Line from Hengchun – get off at stop G16. From Kenting Main Beach, you’d have to take the bus to Hengchun first then transfer to the green line.

Ride the same bus to the last stop, G17, for Jialeshui (佳樂水). This is a remote but picturesque stretch of coastline with cool rock formations.

Qikong Waterfall

If you like adventure activities and getting off the beaten-track, drive to Qikong Waterfall (七孔瀑布). Qiking means “7 holes”, as there are seven pools of water below waterfalls which you can hike up to here.

You can swim in several of these pools. The waterfalls form natural infinity pools, which you can climb down into using ropes.

You only have to hike 5-10 minutes to reach the first two, but the trail is a little tough and requires some scrambling and hanging onto ropes.

An elderly man living next to the parking lot charges TWD 20/60 for scooter/car parking. If you drove this far from Kenting Main Beach, then consider continuing on Highway 200 all the way to Hengchun, making a big loop, instead of driving back the way you came. That’s what I did! 

You could get here by bus (Green Line from Hengchun to Chunxing Intersection stop here, stop G6 on the bus route map), but then you’d have to walk 40 minutes up the car road to reach the trailhead.

What to Eat in Kenting

Where you eat in Kenting will be dictated by where you stay.

At Nanwan, Pizza Rock (run by a fellow travel blogger) and Piccolo Polpo Italian Restaurant (must reserve) stand out.

Kenting Main Street has by far the most dining options, not to mention Kenting Night Market. See my Kenting Night Market guide for all my food stall recommendations.

For sit-down restaurants, there are a lot of international options, including Singaporean, Indonesian, Thai, Korean, Japanese, Italian, and Tex Mex. There are also several quick fry (Taiwanese seafood) restaurants.

For fresh seafood, you can consider driving or riding the bus over to Houbihu Fishing Harbor. Two buildings here right beside the harbor are full of fresh seafood restaurants.

However, when I visited on my own, I wasn’t able to buy a small plate of sashimi as a snack (the pictures were so tempting and prices were good!) – all the restaurants have minimum orders. They basically want you to sit down for a full meal, unlike many other seafood markets in Taiwan, where you can just buy smaller samples. It’s on the shuttle bus Blue Line.

There are also several seafood restaurants nearby in Houbihu village, like this one and this one.

If you stay at Sail Rock Beach, there are only a few cafes, a 7-Eleven, this seafood restaurant, and this small restaurant down the highway.

Near Eluanbi, this little restaurant has some of the best seafood in Kenting, but it’s out of the way.

In Hengchun, Hengchun Night Market takes place on weekends only. Vegetarians may consider going to Hengchun for the unique dragon fruit wraps with veggie meat and other dishes at this vegetarian restaurant.

Near the vegetarian restaurant, this famous vendor sells delicious deep fried green onion cakes with egg (dan su bing). There are also some popular mango shaved ice shops around it.

A special local variety of water chestnuts (菱角) are sold around Fangliao and Checheng. You may see shops selling them along the highway. Locals call them “bats” due to their bat-like shape – watch for signs with a bat-shaped symbol.