Kenting National Park covers the entire Hengchun Peninsula and surrounding sea, encompassing beaches, coral reefs, tropical forests, and the peculiar open grassland of the cape — a 33,000-hectare reserve that protects the most biodiverse corner of Taiwan. The park spans three ecological zones: the western side facing the Taiwan Strait has calm beaches and developed resort areas; the eastern Pacific coast is rockier and more exposed, with dramatic wave action; the interior contains limestone hills and cave systems.
Hiking trails cross the park's forested ridges and coral grassland. The Maolin Recreation Area on the eastern slope has the densest forest. Birdwatching is excellent particularly in October and November, when hundreds of thousands of Grey-faced Buzzards migrate south through the cape — one of the great raptor migrations in Asia. The marine park protects reef systems on both coasts, accessible to divers and snorkellers from several beach entry points.