宜兰县

Why this place

Yilan is the wet, green county on the northeast coast, separated from the rest of the island by mountains. It grows excellent rice, has a strong hot-spring culture, and the Guishan (Turtle) Island offshore is a live volcano.

What to see

• The Jiaoxi and Wulai-area hot springs, in cheap public bathhouses and new resorts alike
• Guishan Island (Turtle Island), reached by boat, with its whale-watching trips
• The Dongshan River and the rice-field landscape, cycled by many visitors
• The Kavalan and Atayal indigenous villages and the county's whisky distillery

What to eat

• Yilan is known for its 'cong bing' (scallion pancake) and its 'gaozha' (fried pork)
• The local rice and the seafood of the north-coast ports

Best time

March–May and October–November; Yilan is one of the wettest parts of the island