Taiwan Capybara Rock in Shen’ao (Formerly Elephant Trunk Rock)

‘Capybara Rock’ is a newly crowned natural attraction in Taiwan in Shen’ao (near Keelung) – it was renamed after the former Elephant Trunk Rock sadly collapsed and fell into the sea in December 2023.

One of the most stunning coastal areas in Northern Taiwan, after the original rock arch crumbled many locals and visitors noticed it’s striking resemble to a capybara and it was hastily retitled – local business owners reported a massive uplift in sales since it was christened ‘Capybara Rock’ (or Capybara Junya).

Now the whole Shen’ao Fishing Port area has gone capybara crazy, with several colorful capybara murals plus cartoon capybara statues installed near the beach. You can even canoe to see the Capybara Rock up close.

Joining a roster of recent capybara attractions in Taiwan, here is our guide to visiting Taiwan’s Capybara Rock in Ruifang District including directions.

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Table of Contents

Where is Capybara Rock in Taiwan? How to get to Capybara Rock

Located near Shen’ao Harbor in Ruifang District in Taipei New City, Capybara Rock is around 10km away from Jiufen or 16km away from Keelung.

Capybara Rock is also located within walking distance of the Shen’ao Rail Bike station in Shen’ao.

Read about our guide to riding on the Shen’ao Rail Bike here or book your Rail Bike tickets in advance with KK Day.

To get to Capybara Rock from Keelung Station, take bus 791 (very frequent) or F805 (not so frequent) and alight at Shen Ao Power Plant bus stop. It is then a 15 to 20 minute walk via Shen’ao Fishing Port.

Remember to buy and use a Taiwan EasyCard when jumping on buses in Keelung (and around Taiwan) or use the exact change – the fare from Keelung Station to Capybara Rock is NT$30 one way.

You might like – Our guide to using an EasyCard in Taiwan and how to top it up, or 30+ cool and cute EasyCard designs

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Taiwan Capybara Rock admission fees and opening times

Capybara Rock is a free natural attraction – no tickets are required and you can visit it 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week.

As with the former Elephant Trunk Rock, the cliff-face is roped off and the actual Capybara Rock is about 15 meters away from the viewing area – however it is still close enough to take good pics on a smart phone. No long camera lens is required.

You might like – Things to do in Keelung including Heping Island Geopark >

Walking directions to Capybara Rock

We walked to Capybara Rock after taking a ride on the Shen’ao Rail Bike but whether you arrive by bus, car or taxi, head to Shen’ao Fishing Port from the main road (Section 1, Jianji Road) along Shenao Road.

As you reach the fishing port, head towards Fanzio Park, past several seafood restaurants.

On the right hand side, you’ll see a small security booth and car park. On the left, you’ll see some stupendous squid statues and in the far corner of the car park, you’ll see some cartoon capybara models – so you know you are in the right direction!

To the right, you’ll see a capybara mural too – so much Taiwan capybara cuteness already and you haven’t even arrived at the rock yet.

From the capybara models, head left onto a rocky outcrop – this is Fanzio beach / coast. Keep going for about 300 meters (this bit isn’t on Google Maps) and look on the left for a well trodden path up some more rocks.

The famous and newly created Capybara Rock (once the Ruifang Elephant Trunk Rock) can be found at the top towards the right.

Shen’ao Fishing Port is also very picturesque and worthy of exploring, so if you are visiting via the Shen’ao Rail Bike and booking a return journey, allow at least 90 minutes to visit Capybara Rock and the fishing port.

Alternatively, you can canoe to Capybara Rock with this KK Day Capybara Junyan (Elephant Trunk Rock) Canoeing Experience.

Try this – Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen, Shifen, and Golden Waterfall Day Tour with Klook, over 300k booked >

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Capybara Rock – what to expect

Given they have hastily had to rename / reinvent the rock formation after the Elephant Trunk Rock collapsed in late 2023, the local tourism authority have done a good job with the ‘rebrand – and yes, the rockface does genuinely look like a capybara from certain angles.

We visited Capybara Rock one weekday morning in October 2024 and other than a security guard listening to the radio at the top, we were the only ones there – only one other couple arrived during the 20 mins or so we were here.

At the top, there is a small sign and selfie tripod giving you some instructions on how best to photograph Capybara Rock, in terms of making it as much like the real thing – because to be fair, from some angles, it looks just like a weird cliff!

The sign also suggests changing your focal length to 2x to get the best shots.

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Taiwan’s stunning coastline and geoparks

The whole area around here is quite stunning and reminiscent of Yehliu Geopark or nearby Heping Island Geopark in Keelung but on a much smaller scale.

The coastal area in Northern Taipei is renowned for its incredible rock formations and unique geography and Capybara Rock is no different.

All of the sandstone rocks here emerged from the sea over 10 million years ago and are different shapes caused by erosion from the sea over time.

To the left of the Capybara Rock and a few steps down, there is a really nice lookout over the sea and some unusually shaped formations – whether these will be named after animals too remains to be seen!

Another famous geopark along Taiwan’s east coast is Fugang Geopark near Taitung – check out our Taitung guide here >

You might like – Our guide to Zhengbin Harbor in Keelung, one of Taiwan’s most colourful spots

Love Capybaras? Check out these other Taiwan capybara activities

So you’ve been to Capybara Rock – but what other capybara things can you do in Taiwan? You’d be surprised…

Get up close to a Capybara

Located a little way out of downtown Taipei, Capybara Knight is one of the more unusual pet cafes in Taipei – who needs cat cafes when you can visit a capybara cafe?

The world’s largest rodent, capybaras are now popping up in cafes all over Asia. Capybara Knight is home to Ba La (girl) and Ga Ba (boy) capybaras plus ducks, rabbits, a cat and dog – quite the menagerie.

It costs NT$150 to get access to the cafe, a free drink, capybara shaped pancakes and an allocated time slot in the capybara enclosure.

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Taiwan capybara souvenirs

Seriously, in 2024, capybaras in Taiwan are so popular right now, it seems like every other souvenir features a capybara.

From capybara magnets to capybara coffee mugs and t-shirts, you’ll find so many cartoon capybara keepsakes – just make sure you bring an empty suitcase to take them home in (and a capybara sticker for the suitcase as well)!

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Taipei Zoo capybaras

Easily combined with the Maokong Gondola, see a real life capybara family in the Tropical Rainforest Area of Taipei Zoo – they recently welcomed new members to the capybara family. Too cute!

Check out these Taipei Zoo and Maokong Gondola tickets with Klook >