May is usually plum rain season, but in the past few years, thanks to climate change, I’ve stopped worrying about it and just check the forecast in real time. It’s still a transition from spring to summer, so the weather could be really hot or suddenly cold.
Here are things to do in May!
Ride to the newly opened Danjiang Bridge 淡江大橋
Designed by Zaha Hadid, this 920m single-tower cable-stayed bridge links Bali and Tamsui across the mouth of the Tamsui River, and it just so happens to be the world’s longest span for that bridge type. Bonus: pedestrian and bicycle paths were built alongside the car and motorcycle lanes, so of course I had to bike it opening week.
The new bridge between Tamsui and Bali opened that week, and since I enjoy crossing bridges, this one was definitely going in the books.
Verdict: There are bridges I won’t cross again, and this is one of them, if I have a choice. It’s windy and triggers vertigo — in fact, I saw one cyclist on the verge of vomiting. Pedestrians and cyclists are lumped together, so it’s even harder to navigate the path.
Hiking trails near Taipei
Mt. Keelung Trail 基隆山登山步道
A steep but short climb with sweeping views of Jiufen, Jinguashi, and the coastline below – worth every one of those 268m of stairs.
A short 3.65 km, 268m non-stop ascent by stairs. There’s an alternative trail covered in trees that’s good to take on the way down.
To get here: take bus 1062 from Songshan Station.
Sunrise watching at Wuyuanjiao 烏岩角
Not for the faint-hearted (or faint-kneed) – you scramble down a cliff in the dark, then back up over rocks and roots, all for a sunrise view over the Pacific that makes the 3AM wake-up call worth it.
A short 1.5km sharp descent along the cliff gets you down, then a short 1.5km sharp ascent, climbing over rocks and roots, gets you back up to the road.
We started our descent at 3AM and found a spot to watch the sunrise before continuing down to the beach. We spent a good 2 hours there – well, I took some power naps while the waves and laughter roared around me.
To get here:I joined a hiking group on Facebook and came via a private van.
Sulfur Valley Recreation Area 硫磺谷遊憩區
A gentle, steamy walk through sulfur vents and mineral-stained streams – more geothermal sightseeing than hike, but a nice easy add-on from Xinbeitou.
This isn’t much of a hike, but a 123m elevation gain from Xinbeitou Station sounds like one. We went off-road a little to cut the route short, but missed it on the way down and ended up taking the mountain road all the way back.
Firefly watching at Hemei Mountain 和美山
A quiet, easy trail that turns magical after dark in early summer, when fireflies light up the forest like tiny drifting stars.
‘Tis the season of fireflies! I went at a time when not many people were hiking, so I got to sit down and set up my GoPro to capture a timelapse of the little lighted buggers.
Observe the annual coral spawning in Kenting
Coral spawning in Kenting usually happens a few nights after the summer full moon, when the corals release their eggs and sperm in sync – it’s a short window, so timing (and luck) matters a lot.
I have a love-hate relationship with Kenting, where I usually start my scuba diving season in Taiwan – except this time, I started earlier in Xiao Liu Qiu in April.
I went with the diving club again to observe the coral spawning and once again missed the action. I did see some floating pink spawn, so it happened somewhere.
So, despite the plum rain season, I was able to pack all weekends of May with outdoor fun!
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That’s it for now! Stay tuned for weekend things to do in Taiwan.
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