Region
Penghu
Go May–June or September; base in Magong and day-trip the islands — winter wind cancels boats.
Key facts · Taiwan
- Best months
- Apr–May
- Currency
- New Taiwan dollar (TWD, NT$)
- Language
- Mandarin
- Plugs
- A · B · 110 V
- Time zone
- UTC+8 all year
Rules in force · 5
- East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
- East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
- Taiwan ↗Check visa-exemption length, passport validity and the online arrival card (TWAC) on the official sites before you fly.
- Taiwan ↗An EasyCard (or iPASS) covers MRT, buses, local trains and many convenience-store purchases; buy one at the airport or a station.
- Taiwan ↗When a local government declares a typhoon day, transport and sights can close for the day; follow the official notice, not the forecast alone.
Penghu is about 90 islands in the Taiwan Strait, and only four of them are joined by road. Magong is the ferry port, the airport bus and the food; Baisha and Xiyu are the bridge-linked countryside; Cimei and Wang'an are separate boat rides south. Two or three nights is the honest minimum — one night means you see the airport twice and nothing else.
Sleep
Which bed, for how many nights, and what to do from it
Where to sleep
Sleep base
- MagongPlanned
Ferry terminal, airport bus, Tianhou Temple, most beds and food.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Day trip
- BaishaPlanned
Bridge-linked north; Jibei boats and the beaches.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
- HuxiPlanned
East side of the main island; Aimen and Lintou.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
- CimeiPlanned
Southern islet, 90 min by boat; worth a night, not a rushed return.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
- JibeiPlanned
North islet; the sandbar and the watersports crowd.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Night sequences
- 2 nights
- Magong 2 nights; one full day on the bridge-linked islands (Baisha + Xiyu)
- 3 nights
- Magong 2 + Cimei 1, or Magong 3 with a Jibei boat day
- 4 nights
- Magong 2 + Cimei 1 + Wang'an or a second Magong night for the south-sea boats
- October to February the wind is the trip: boats to Cimei and Wang'an are cancelled often, and scooters on exposed bridges are genuinely hard work.
- Typhoons July–September delay or cancel flights; keep a buffer day before an international connection.
- Beach bottoms drop off fast and there are tidal currents between islands — swim where locals swim.
Day-trips door to door
| To | From | Door-to-door p50 | Last return | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baisha and Jibei | Magong | 40 min | check | Bridge to Baisha; Jibei is a short boat from the north coast. Boat times change with the season. |
| Xiyu | Magong | 45 min | check | Cross the long bridge; Erkan's coral courtyard houses and the old stone weirs. |
| Cimei | Magong | 90 min | check | Boat from the South Sea terminal; one boat a day in the low season, and wind cancels it. |
| South Penghu Marine National Park | Magong | 60 min | check | Tour boat or charter only; the best snorkelling in the archipelago. |
Bags between cities
No luggage forwarding worth planning here; you carry bags on and off the boats yourself.
When and how
Months, arrival and passes
Seasons at a glance
Pick a month to see where to go.
| Country | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan (country-wide) | go | ok | go | go | ok | ok | ok | ok | ok | go | go | go |
Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.
Climate strip
| Zone | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penghu main islandsMagong, Huxi, Baisha, Xiyu | wind | wind | ok | best | best | hot | hot | hot | ok | wind | wind | wind |
- Penghu main islands
- April–September is hot and humid, usually above 30 °C, and is the high season. October–February is the windy low season. March–April and September are the sweet spots: warm water, working boats, thinner crowds.April–September is hot and humid, usually above 86 °F, and is the high season. October–February is the windy low season. March–April and September are the sweet spots: warm water, working boats, thinner crowds.
Penghu's summer is also Taiwan's school-holiday peak — beds in Magong fill weeks ahead for July and August weekends.
Get in
| From | To | How | p50 | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taipei (Songshan) | Magong Airport | Domestic flight, about 50 min | ~50 min in the air | Uni Air and Mandarin Airlines fly the route frequently; book early for summer weekends. |
| Kaohsiung | Magong | Flight about 40 min, or ferry about 5 h | ~40 min air / ~5 h sea | The ferry runs year-round but is far more frequent in summer; winter sailings are often cancelled. |
| Chiayi (Budai) | Magong Harbour | Ferry, summer only | ~90 min | Runs until about mid-October. Budai terminal is awkward to reach by public transport. |
| Kinmen | Magong | Domestic flight | check | Useful if you are island-hopping the strait. |
Regional passes
Airport bus into Magong
buyCheapest way in; the stop is at the corner of the airport building with a timetable posted.
Taxi from Magong Airport
checkMeters are not used — agree the fare before you get in. Many B&Bs offer free pick-up; ask.
Scooter rental
buyThe default way to see the bridge-linked islands; bring an IDP with a Chinese translation.
South-sea boat day tour
checkPays if you want Cimei or the marine park without chartering; compare operators at the South Sea terminal.
Eat and move on
Regional food
| Dish | Where | Timing / trap |
|---|---|---|
| Xiaoguan (small squid) | Magong and the fishing villages | The affordable local seafood order — in soup, noodles, fried or grilled. Not the imported squid-on-a-stick. |
| Turban snails and sea mushrooms | Magong seafood restaurants | Local specialities and priced accordingly; ask the price before ordering. |
| Prickly-pear cactus sorbet | Magong, Wang'an | The red-purple fruit grows on the wind-scoured slopes; sold all over Magong. |
| Brown sugar cake (he tang gao) | The alley below the old well, Magong | Boxed to carry; several shops sell the same thing, so buy on your last morning. |
| Grass jelly shaved ice | Magong old street | The standard cool-down between temple stops. |
Go next
Taipei
Flight about 50 min from Magong
Most Penghu trips start and end here.
Kaohsiung
Flight about 40 min, or the year-round ferry
The southern gateway; pair with Tainan.
Tainan
Flight from Tainan, or ferry via Chiayi plus rail
Old capital food and temples, two to three nights.
Taichung
Flight about 45 min
Useful if you are working north through central Taiwan.
Kinmen
plannedDomestic flight
Planned. The other strait island county; different history, different food.
Deep dive
Photos, reading and every source