Finding food proved to be a problem in Longdong. There are only a few restaurants, and these are located near the entrance to Longdongwan Coast Park. The owner of one stall told us that fewer tourists now pass this way. More people, he said, are visiting the southern end of the Northeast Coast via the recently completed National Freeway No. 5, also known as the “Chiang Wei-shui (蔣渭水) Memorial Freeway,” connecting Taipei and Ilan.
It wasn’t until we took a stroll along the Longdongwan Cape Trail, which connects Longdong Cape (龍洞岬) and Beitou Cape (鼻頭角), that we were fully able to appreciate the area’s awe-inspiring geological features.
As we passed the Silingyan Temple (西靈巖寺), roughly a 15-minute walk from the entrance to Longdong South Ocean Park, magnificent cliffs overlooking the emerald-green waters of the Pacific Ocean suddenly came into view. Some 80m below the path, waves crashed against rocks that were formed tens of millions of years ago. The cool ocean breeze here was a godsend.
After continuing along the trail for another 10 minutes or so, we saw a signpost with instructions for rock climbing. Seasoned climber Matt Robertson, an American who moved to the area in 2002, wrote a self-published book detailing around 100 of the best routes. For more information, visit his Web site at www.climbstone.com.
From our lookout spot near Hemei Primary School (和美國小), we saw a natural wonder of a different kind: a diver’s paradise with tranquil waters surrounded by rocks that act as natural barriers to the ocean’s waves. As I gazed enviously upon a group of snorkel divers who were frolicking in the crystal-clear, turquoise waters, I realized that Longdong clearly deserves far more than a single day of exploration. I plan on going again, next time with a diving instructor.
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