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Home arrow Coloane Island Thursday, 28 August 2008
Coloane Island

Coloane 

The island of Coloane is Macau's countryside, with wooded hills, beach-lined bays, and traditional villages. With only two hotels on the island, the Westin Macau and the Pousada de Coloane in Macau, anyone would be right to assume that Coloane is peaceful.  Historically a haven for pirates with its deserted coves, rugged cliffs, and sea caves, visitors and residents now flock to Coloane Island to swim, have picnics, and simply enjoy the treasure of nature.


Cheoc Van Beach occupies a bay on the south coast of Coloane Island.  One can hire a Moke from a Macau car rental agency, or take the public bus to reach Cheoc Van and its neighbor, Hac Sá. Those who feel like walking may do so from Coloane Village, along Estrada de Cheoc Van. The sea is clean and safe for swimming, canoeing, and windsurfing. Equipment for water sports is available for rent, and there is a café serving drinks and snacks for the hungry. The Macau Yacht Club and a large open-air pool are located here, too.

Hac Sá Beach, with its fine black sand, is located on the east coast of Coloane. The sand is dark grey in color due to the special minerals beneath the sea bed. During weekends, this beach is fully packed with people. There are barbecue pits, surfboards for hire, and a famous Macau restaurant, Fernando's. The Hac Sá Sports & Recreation Complex contains an Olympic-sized pool, tennis and basketball courts, mini-golf, and a children's playground.
The Macau Golf and Country Club is located on Coloane Island, as well. The 18-hole, par-71 course was built on a headland overlooking the South China Sea. The Club House has a pro shop, pool, sauna and massage rooms. The course winds itself across the top of a mountain, where you can take in spectacular views over the picturesque Hac Sa Beach and the South China Sea.

Although Coloane Island is now a haven for golfers, hikers, and beach bunnies, pirates were still touching upon shore as recently as 1910. If "Old Macau" is what you're looking for, the narrow, crumbling streets and disheveled temples of Coloane Village will transport you. Coloane village stands as a living testament to Macau's dual Portuguese and Cantonese heritage.  

The village centers on Eduardo Marques Square, a rectangle paved in black and white cobbles, laid out in a wavy pattern reminiscent of the sea. The square faces a seaside promenade that traces the channel dividing Macau from the dusty hills of China proper. At the opposite end of the square stands the mustard-colored Chapel of St. Francis Xavier, built in 1928 and housing the holy bones of Portuguese, Japanese and Vietnamese Catholic martyrs.

On the west side of the island, Seac Pai Van Park provides a serene, natural retreat. The park contains a Museum of Nature and Agriculture, a walk-in aviary, a vast collection of different trees and shrubs, a children's playground, a picnic area, the Balichão restaurant, and a laboratory that shares botanical information with others around the world. There is a zoo in the park, where you will find ostriches, cows, peacocks, monkeys, reptiles, eagles, swans, and rabbits.  There is also a gardening demo teaching about Chinese Herbal Medicine. From the park, there is a hiking trail that will take visitors to the Statue of A-Ma. The trip is around an hour and half, and is for more experienced hikers. Hikers will also enjoy the interconnected nature trails and the Coloane Fitness Circuit.

There are many other pleasures on Coloane Island, one of which is the Go-Karting track, sure to please adults and children alike. Whether you want to escape or literally dive in, Coloane Island is worth a visit.