Yehliu Geopark – The Amazing Crown Jewel of Taiwan’s Northern Coast 野柳地質公園

Background:

The sandstone that forms the Yehliu formation was created between 10 and 20 million years ago, and was pushed out of the sea along with northern Taiwan thousands of years ago. 
The Queen’s head is formed by two layers of sandstone, one soft, fast-eroding layer on the bottom and a harder layer on top. This kind of sandstone formation can be seen around the world and is known as a hoodoo. The Queen’s head was named after Queen Elizabeth I, because it is thought to look like her. 
The head is eroding .2 to .5 CM per year and is expected to fall at any time!
The name Yehliu comes from the Spanish name for the area “Putno Diablos” which was then also used by the Dutch, and transliterated by the Chinese settlers in the area as “Yehliu” in Chinese. 
Yehliu Ocean World is the largest aquarium in northern Taiwan and has one of the few outdoor sea life amphitheaters in Taiwan. The facility features an indoor aquarium and outdoor show that is geared toward children.  

Hours:

Yehliu Geopark: 8 AM to 5 PM in winter (tickets not sold after 4:30)
8 AM to 6 PM in summer (tickets not sold after 5:30)
Yehliu Ocean World: 9 AM to 5 PM

Price:

Yehliu Geopark: 120 NT per person.
​You can book discount tickets to Yehliu Geopark on Klook here and KKday here. 
Yehliu Ocean World: 450 NT per person.
​​You can book discount tickets to Yehliu Ocean World on Klook here and KKday here. 
You can also book tickets to the Yehliu Ocean World Parent-Child playground on Klook here. 

Tours:

You can book a tour to Yehliu on TripAdvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here.

Can I touch the Rocks?

Don’t you dare touch the rocks! 

Activities nearby:

Don’t forget that there are many activities available along Taiwan’s Northern Coast such as Wakeboarding, Surfing, Speedboat Surfing, SUP / Paddle Boarding, Diving, Snorkeling Kayaking, Canoeing, Water Biking,  River Tracing / Canyoneering, ATVing, Horse Riding, Archery, Tree Climbing, Glamping, Motorcycling, Motorbike Tour, Dragon Boat Racing, Shen’ao Rail Bike, and more on Tripadvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. 

Where to Stay:

We recommend Fullon Hotel, which has locations in Tamsui and Fulong near the beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here). 
We have stayed at and recommend ​Gold Mountain Ranch, which is a horse ranch and glamping destination in Jinshan. ​You can book a night at Gold Mountain Ranch on Klook here.  You can also check out our full blog on the ranch here. 
We have also stayed at and recommend Hai Xia Your Home, which is right in front of Fulong Beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here). 
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

How to get there:

​By Bus: There are inter-city buses that leave hourly from Taipei Main Station and Taipei City Hall to Yehliu. You can purchase a discount easy card to use on the MRT and buses from Klook here or KKday here. ​You can also book an MRT travel pass on Klook here. 
By Car/Scooter: Take Provincial highway 2 west out of Keelung, and keep going until you reach Wanli. The turnoff to  Yehliu comes right after Wanli beach. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or  KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.  
Looking for scooter rental in northern Taiwan? You can search on Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. 
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan’s landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan’s many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. You can also book a cycling tour on TripAdvisor here. 
For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here. 

Map:

See the map below:

Drone Footage:

Check out our drone footage of Yehliu and Wanli Beach above. 

360 Pano

You can also check out our 360 degree pano above or via this link: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=725629906256989

I have known about Yehliu and the famous Queen’s head, and always wanted to go check it out. However, my first few years in Taiwan were spent in the south, so I didn’t have a chance to check it out. 

Yehliu Geopark 野柳地質公園

 

View of Yehliu from the air.

If you come via car, there is usually plenty of parking around the Yehliu Ocean World Amphitheater.

You have to buy a ticket before you go in. The ticket stand is here at the south end. Do not walk to the north end or there will be no way to get in.

On our second trip, we made it successfully into the park the entrance ticket used to be cheaper when we first went (only 80 NT). It is 120 NT per person now.   ​You can book discount tickets to Yehliu Geopark on Klook here and KKday here. 

You are then forced to walk through the Yehliu Seafood Market, which is fine if you like Seafood.

There are lots of snacks and trinkets here.

I feel like parts of the market may be a bit overpriced and take advantage of tourists. It is a classic tourist trap.

The third time we went, there were tons of people.

As you can see, the line to take a selfie with the Queen’s head was backed up really far.

But if you visit, a photo with the Queen’s head is a must. It’s an icon.

At the entrance there are also some fake cement rocks you can take photos with in case the lines are too long.

There is beautiful geology everywhere here.

Wider view of the Queen’s Head area.

View to the north with more stone formations to check out.

There are lots of bridges between the stones here.

Fossil in the sand.

Small stone arch.

People enjoying the view from a small bridge.

Another interesting stone formation.

Statue of Mr, Lin Tien-chen.

The statue of Mr. Lin Tien-chin is a reminder of his brave actions in March, 1964 when he tried to help a student to visited Yehliu and was swept to sea by waves. Unfortunatley, both Mr. Lin and the student lost their lives.

More strange looking rocks along the path.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see more photos of Yehliu Geopark in our blog here; scroll down to the end.

 

​You can book discount tickets to Yehliu Geopark on Klook here and KKday here. 
You can book a tour to Yehliu on TripAdvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here.

​​You can book discount tickets to Yehliu Ocean World on Klook here and KKday here. 
You can also book tickets to the Yehliu Ocean World Parent-Child playground on Klook here. ​

There is also a geopark in eastern Taiwan called Little Yehliu Geopark. For our full blog on little Yehliu, clickhere. 

Don’t forget that there are many activities available along Taiwan’s Northern Coast such as Wakeboarding, Surfing, Speedboat Surfing, SUP / Paddle Boarding, Diving, Snorkeling Kayaking, Canoeing, Water Biking,  River Tracing / Canyoneering, ATVing, Horse Riding, Archery, Tree Climbing, Glamping, Motorcycling, Motorbike Tour, Dragon Boat Racing, Shen’ao Rail Bike, and more on Tripadvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. 

Also be sure to check out our guide to Taipei here.        

Check out our full guide to Taiwan’s Northern Coast here.            

Check out our guide to the best beaches near Taipei here.

You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here.