When we stayed one night at Inhouse Hotel Yehliu, my daughter and my wife’s coworker’s daughter had so much fun playing on the beach that we agreed to take them to Baisha Bay together another day. My daughter had been looking forward to it ever since.

This was my first time driving to Baisha Bay. Before leaving, I checked the parking options on Google Maps. There seemed to be two parking lots, both close to the beach, so I decided on the second one. That turned out to be a mistake.

On the map, the second parking lot looks very close to the beach. In reality, it sits noticeably higher, with roughly a 10- to 20-meter elevation difference from sea level. Even after you reach the sand, it is still a fair walk to the designated swimming area. The way there was manageable. The walk back was exhausting.

We left at around 2:00 PM. Worried about the heat, we packed a lot of iced water in an insulated cooler bag and brought a small play tent as well. Once we reached the beach, though, we realized how windy it was, and sitting inside the tent actually felt hotter. The swimming area has sunshades for rent for NT$300, which would have been much more convenient and closer to the lifeguarded area, but we had forgotten to bring cash, so we had to make do with our own tent.

My daughter had a great time, switching back and forth between digging in the sand and asking Dad to take her to the shallows. In the area where we were staying, there was a raised sandbar between the beach and the open sea, creating a small lagoon-like pool. The water was very calm, which made it ideal for children around three years old.

We stayed until after six. Even after the beach officially closed, my daughter still did not want to leave, so we ended up staying another half hour.

There are coin-operated shower facilities near Baisha Bay Visitor Center, and hot water costs only NT$10. We did not even have NT$10 on us, though, so we went back to the car and rinsed off as best we could with the tap water we had packed. On the way back, the second parking lot felt even farther away than before.

By the time we drove home, it was already dark. Since I did not know the route well, I even accidentally drove into the motorcycle-only lane for a moment while getting onto Guandu Bridge. Next time, I want to arrive before noon and park in the first lot.

Note: This article is translated from Traditional Chinese.