Riding around is also an ideal way to interact with locals. Two people arriving at a small village and getting off a motorcycle are a curiosity; 20 people getting off a tour bus are dollar signs. The locals don’t mind visitors snapping a few pictures of them engaged in their traditional subsistence lifestyle, whether it be drying fish beside the sea or cultivating a garden on top of an ochre-tipped bluff.
Although the county government maps are not precise, this should not stop the inquisitive from wandering off the beaten track. Many excursions down a small road or lane revealed a boatyard here or a spectacular vista there. And don’t worry about getting lost: the beauty of Penghu is that no matter how lost you become, if you keep driving, you’ll always find the ocean.
One detour near the town of Chihma (赤馬) on the southern west coast of Siyu leads down a small wall-lined lane, past century-old stone houses, and eventually opens on to a field, on the other side of which is a small conifer forest that ends at a secluded beach with azure water.
Another village back street in the small fishing hamlet of Siaomen (小門) on the north coast of Siyu leads to a tile pathway that snakes up a small hill to enclosed gardens of gourd and corn, laid out symmetrically and separated by large rock walls to protect the soil from the powerful winds that arrive each October and blow through Penghu for the following seven months. Reaching the tip of what turned out to be a basalt cliff with stairs down to the sea, an expansive view of Penghu’s famous heart-shaped weirs, a spectacular shipwreck and islands in the distance were the rewards for this short trek.
With the receding tide came ocean-side scavengers, elderly men and women wandering among the rocks in search of their dinner, the women dressed so that only their eyes were exposed.
For the less adventurous or those wanting to save a few bucks on motorcycle rentals and gas, there is still plenty to do and see on Penghu’s many islands.
Makung has some of the best and most easily accessible beaches. For those wanting to enjoy a day at the beach, Shanshui (山水) Beach on the southwest coast is highly recommended. Like all beaches on Penghu, it is clean and the surf relatively safe. There are also a couple of restaurants, a surf shop and minsu (民宿), or guesthouses, along the small main drag.
Further west is Shili ( 裡) Beach, equally as beautiful as Shanshui and ideal for those wanting to avoid the crowds. A 10-minute drive west of Shili Beach are Fongguei Cave (風櫃) and Shetou Hill (蛇頭山) Recreational Area — the latter a romantic place to watch the sun set into the sea.
Siying Rainbow (彩虹) Bridge in front of the Kuanyin Pavilion (觀音亭) in the western part of Makung City is another favored place to watch the sun set. After the sun sinks below the horizon, follow the smell a few minutes north along Mingtsu (民族) Road to an outdoor Taiwanese-style all-you-can-eat barbeque (NT$249) that overlooks the sea. Or head into the city for a seafood dinner.
Unfortunately, time didn’t permit exploration of the eastern half of Makung (called Husi (湖西) Township), which is said to offer exquisite sunrises. Also absent from this short journey was Chimei (七美), along with the other islands south of Makung. No matter. It simply means that my next journey to Penghu will take me south, rather than north.
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