Yehliu Geopark: a Scenic Piece of Taiwan's North Coast

On our way to visit friends in Hualien, Floyd and I stopped by a place I've been wanting to see for years: Yehliu.

  

We saw most of the sights featured above on our little self-guided tour of the geopark peninsula.

 Famous for its interesting rock formations, Yehliu is a major tourist attraction in Taiwan.

The results of erosion in this area are fascinating!

In fact, the rocks at Yehliu are considered one of Taiwan's "Eight Scenic Wonders".

It was a Saturday, and the area was swarming with tourists.

Undeterred by the incessant drizzle, we strolled the wood-paved paths of the geopark along with everyone else.

We probably would have gotten some better pictures if the sky had been blue and I hadn't had to be so careful to shield the camera under my umbrella, but it was beautiful there.

We had fun hiking around the little peninsula and taking pictures of the view.

I wonder if this was caused by erosion or an earthquake?

Many of the rocks had names.  Here Floyd is posing by the Dragon Head.

There were lots of these sand dollars embedded in the rock underfoot.  It wasn't as slippery as it looked.

This rock is called "Pineapple Bun".  I think "Tortoise Shell" might be more fitting!

We stood in this line for about fifteen minutes.  What was everybody lining up for?  To take pictures of the most famous rock in Taiwan: the Queen's Head.
 

From the right angle, this rock is supposed to resemble the head of a queen.  I always thought it was supposed to be Nefertiti, but I just looked it up and two different websites said Queen Elizabeth. Hmm.  In any case, her Majesty was interesting to see, but I don't think she quite lived up to all the hype.  And she sure looks a lot smaller in real life than in the postcards!  (As you can see, the weather did terrible things to my hair.  I guess being a stone woman has its advantages.)

Afterwards, we looked around for somewhere to eat a late lunch.  There was a whole row of little restaurants, but while we were pondering our options, a lady came out of one of them and practically dragged us in.  "English menu, English menu."  That decided us!

 

Don't like seafood? You're outta luck here!