Green Island Travel Guide
Some places you visit for the sights. Green Island I visit over and over for the feeling it leaves behind. This small volcanic island off the southeast coast of Taiwan packs scuba diving, hot springs, dramatic cliffs, and a wild prison history into a patch of land you can circle on a scooter in a single day. Yet weeks afterward I still think about it constantly.
Green Island sits about thirty kilometers off the town of Taitung. The locals call it Lüdao. It is small, only about fifteen square kilometers, but the granite and andesite that make it up rise sharply from the Pacific to create the jagged coastline that first drew me here. Getting across is an adventure by itself, and once you arrive the island slows you down whether you planned it or not.
Getting to Green Island
The only practical way to cross is by ferry from Fugang Harbor in Taitung. The ride takes roughly fifty minutes on a calm day and closer to an hour and a half when the seas get rough, which they often do. Weather rules everything here, and the boats are cancelled without hesitation when the swell turns ugly. I always tell travelers to build slack into their schedule so a cancelled ferry does not sink a whole trip.
You can also fly from Taitung Airport on a small turboprop that lands on a short runway near the southern coast. The flight lasts about fifteen minutes and offers a sweeping view of the island that the ferry cannot match. Book both legs early in high season because seats and deck space disappear fast.
Loop the island on a scooter
There is essentially one main road that circles the island, and renting a scooter is the classic way to see Green Island. I cannot imagine doing it any other way. License requirements are relaxed for visitors in practice, and most guesthouses arrange a bike to be waiting when you arrive. With a scooter the whole island becomes yours to explore at your own pace, stopping anywhere the view says stop.
Be ready for the wind. The northeastern side takes the brunt of the open Pacific, and on exposed stretches the gusts can push you around the lane. Keep a firm grip, go slow on the corners, and pull over at the lookout points that appear around every bend.
Soak in the saltwater hot springs
Houzihshan Hot Springs sits right on the shoreline, and it is the reason Green Island first appeared on my radar. It is a saltwater spring, a rarity, where seawater mixes with volcanic heat before bubbling up along the coast. I still remember soaking in the warm pool while the Pacific waves crashed a few meters away and the sunrise turned the water gold.
The best moment is just before dawn, when the sky is still purple and only a few early risers share the pools. Entry is cheap, the setting is unforgettable, and the constant rhythm of the ocean outside the rocks turns the soak into something almost meditative.
Dive and snorkel in clear water
Green Island is famous across Taiwan for its clear water and healthy coral. I have snorkeled off the southern coast and seen schools of fish that followed me the whole afternoon. For certified divers the island offers deeper walls, sea turtles, and the occasional eagle ray cruising past in the blue.
Several dive shops run trips from the main village, and they all speak at least some English. Even if you have never dived before, the introductory dives here offer a first taste of the underwater world that is hard to top. The water is warmest from May to September, and visibility is at its best then.
Face the island’s prison history
Green Island was not always a holiday spot. For decades it held political prisoners in a camp run by the former regime, and the island earned a reputation as a place nobody wanted to go. The Green Island Prison, now partly a museum, is sobering and important. Walking the cramped cells and reading the stories of the men held there changed how I saw the whole island.
I always pair this with a stop at the Guanyin Cave nearby, a natural sea cave that shelters a small shrine. It is quiet there, a calming counterpoint to the heavy history down the road.
Food and practical notes
The main village of Nanliao is where nearly everything happens. Seafood is the star, and the freshly caught fish served in the small restaurants tastes like the ocean itself. I order whatever the owner tells me is fresh. There are also barbecue spots at night where you cook your own meat and seafood over charcoal, a social ritual that comes alive after dark.
Bring cash, because the ATM is limited and many small places do not take cards. Sunscreen is non negotiable, and so is a light jacket for the ferry ride. Green Island rewards the unhurried traveler. Give it at least two nights, three if you can, and let it work its slow magic on you.
