CITY · MACAU SAR
Macau
澳门 · Àomén
Overview
Special Administrative Region on the Pearl River Delta. Former Portuguese colony (1557–1999); the only city in the Sinosphere with a continuous Cantonese-Portuguese fusion food culture. UNESCO-listed historic centre.
Macau was a Portuguese trading post from 1557 and a Portuguese colony from 1849 to 1999. It is now a Special Administrative Region of the PRC with its own currency (Macanese Pataca, MOP — Hong Kong Dollar widely accepted), its own immigration system (many nationalities visa-free up to 30–90 days), and its own legal system. The city consists of the Macau Peninsula and the southern islands of Taipa and Coloane, joined together with reclamation to form the gambling and entertainment Cotai Strip.
The historic centre on the peninsula (UNESCO-listed) is a remarkably intact set of Portuguese-era squares, churches and fortresses — Senado Square, the Ruins of St Paul's, A-Ma Temple, the Mount Fortress. The continuous Cantonese-Portuguese cuisine — egg tarts, African chicken, baked pork chop bun, Portuguese-style codfish — is unique in the region. Cotai is the casino-and-resort strip, a Las Vegas of the east, with the Venetian, Wynn, MGM and Studio City.
Cultural & access notes
Portuguese is co-official with Chinese (Cantonese). English is widely understood in tourist areas. Macanese Patacas (MOP) and Hong Kong Dollars (HKD) circulate in parallel — most places accept HKD at par. Pay in MOP if possible to avoid losing on conversion.
What to see
- Senado Square and the historic centre (UNESCO)
- Ruins of St Paul's
- A-Ma Temple
- Mount Fortress and Macau Museum
- Coloane Village and Hac Sa Beach (sandy black-sand beach)
- Taipa Village (food and Portuguese-era streets)
- Cotai Strip (Venetian, Wynn Palace, Parisian)
- Macau Tower (bungee jump)
What to eat
- Portuguese egg tart (the Macanese version, served warm) — Lord Stow's at Coloane is the original
- African chicken (galinha à africana)
- Portuguese-style baked pork chop bun
- Pork chop bun (zhū pà bāo) at Tai Lei Loi Kei in Taipa
- Almond cookies and serradura
Getting there
Macau (MFM) airport on Taipa. Direct ferries from Hong Kong (Sheung Wan to Outer Harbour) in 60 minutes. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge bus crossing. From mainland: cross into Macau at the Gongbei border at Zhuhai.
Getting around
Free casino shuttle buses cover most of Cotai. The single light rail line connects the airport to Cotai. Walking the historic centre on the peninsula. Taxis are easy.
Where to stay
Peninsula (Senado Square area) for the historic centre. Cotai for the casino resorts. Coloane Village for quiet beach-side stays.
We list neighbourhoods, not specific hotels — we don't endorse hotels.
When to go
October–December and March. Summer is humid and prone to typhoons.
Budget guide (CNY per day)
| Backpacker | ¥600 |
| Mid-range | ¥1300 |
| Comfortable | ¥3500 |
Safety notes
Macau is very safe. Casino tourism dominates; gambling is regulated and largely transparent.
Nearby attractions
Macau Tower 澳门旅游塔
338m sightseeing tower in central Macau. Bungee jump (the world's highest commercial), Skywalk, observation deck.
Ruins of St Paul's 大三巴牌坊
Façade of a 17th-century Jesuit cathedral, destroyed by fire in 1835. The most-photographed image of Macau, at the heart of the UNESCO historic centre.
Senado Square 议事亭前地
Central pedestrian square paved in Portuguese mosaic stonework, surrounded by colonial-era public buildings. UNESCO-listed.
The Venetian Macau 威尼斯人
The world's largest casino by floor area. Mock-Italian streetscape with gondolas on canals; 3,000-room resort hotel.
More on Macau
Itineraries visiting Macau
Food of Special Administrative Region
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