I figure that Taipei is uncomfortably hot in June because of its geography (muddy basin), but other parts of Taiwan would be good to hike when visiting in June.
Can you recommend any particular hikes?
梨山 is cool mid 10s. Can drive there and roads are wide, many hotels/homestays/minsu along the way. I would recommend to drive from Yilan.
雪霸 is closer to Taipei and also cool up in the mountains (it snows in winter). But very narrow roads that you have to share with tourist buses.
阿里山 is good too
Anywhere up high elevation is going to be cooler
I can in the south, if you’re coming this far. Are you looking at overnights or just a few hours? And a lot of the central mountains have rain in the afternoons, important to keep in mind as it seems a few people die every year…
I visited in July 2023 and remember it being quite cool up there. Perhaps it was due to a typhoon.
Excellent topic for a thread. Keep the ideas coming!
Guy
I think it gets quite comfortably cool at night, but in my experience, during the day, when the sun is out, it’s hot everywhere in Taiwan during the summer months, including above 2,000 meters.
When I’ve gone to the 谷關七雄 in the past, I’ve found them to be a bit hot but not unbearably so even in summer. Close to Taichung, only about an hour’s ride.
Anything above 1000 meters should be bearable if there’s shade. Over 1500 or 2000 should be quite comfortable.
It’s really the altitude that makes the most noticeable difference. At same altitude, northern mountain side will be cooler than southern side.
I’d look at higher-elevation areas like Alishan or Hehuanshan rather than hiking around Taipei in June. The temperatures are usually more comfortable up there.
One thing to watch out for is afternoon rain and thunderstorms, so starting your hikes early and checking the forecast beforehand is a good idea.