Unlike bland, austere northern Taiwan, Green Island is a sparkling paradise, a volcanic island where the sea is always blue and the weather sunny and warm. Just 10 minutes by air from Taiwan's southeast coast, Green Island is rapidly becoming one of the region's hottest vacation spots. It's best known for hot springs, scuba diving and, of all things, human rights. The prisoners whose names are inscribed on the wall represent a who's who of Taiwan's freedom movement.
Green Island is also Taiwan's top diving destination.
It sits in the middle of the Japan current, a nutrient-rich stream that feeds a stunning variety of crustaceans, tropical fish and other sealife. The island is famed for its underwater meadows of grass coral. Chao Jih hot springs are another local favorite. Cold ocean water leaks through the rock, hits the red-hot underground lava and bubbles up to the surface. If the tide is high and the ocean stormy, waves roll into the springs.