If you are visiting Yilan, you should definitely check out Turtle Island (also named Guishan Island) for a fun day trip. The site of the only active volcano in Taiwan, this island looks like a turtle when you look at it from afar.

At only 10 kilometers from the city of Yilan, part of the Toucheng township, the island is accessible by boat cruise from Wushih Harbor. 3.3 km long and 1.7 km wide, this island was once used to support a population of 750 people. Now it serves as a national protected environment and its access is limited because it is still a controlled military area (the daily limit entry is 1800 people and you can’t stay overnight).