
Hiking in Hong Kong
Cheung Chau

Explore this place if:
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you're after family-friendly hikes of a variety of distances
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coastal views are a requirement on your hike
Avoid this place if:
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you're after more off-road terrain
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your elevation gain/loss needs to be off the charts

Cheung Chau, a short ferry ride from Central, is a popular day out for thousands of people every weekend. Whether you're checking out the local food scene, hunting a beach escape, or after that chilled out island life vibe, Cheung Chau can deliver. For us, though, there was only reason we made the journey over here: hiking.
Cheung Chau's dumbbell shape conveniently lends itself to exploring the island in two loops - north and south. Both can easily be undertaken in half a day, or longer if you're going to stop frequently. The main town sits on a slender tombolo between the two halves, providing a welcome place to refresh. The great part about hiking here is that you can choose a route as short as 1 km or as long as 15 km, and is suitable for all fitness levels.
Pro tip: don't plan your hike for the middle of summer, when the heat index reaches the mid-40s. Rookie error on our behalf.

The South
From the ferry pier we set out anti-clockwise on the southern loop. Following the boat-filled bays out of town, we headed straight for Cheung Po Chai Cave. Although it was possible to traverse through the cave to an alternative access point, the narrow, pitch-black entrance lined with large ankle-twisting rocks put us off venturing inside. Instead, we walked around the coast towards Reclining Rock, but the water prevented us from getting a close up view (it was possible to reach the rock via another route, but it involved backtracking further than we felt the rock deserved). Next it was over to the south-east side of the island, via a secluded road, where the biggest attraction seemed to be the Mini Great Wall. It was definitely mini yet there wasn't anything particularly great about the wall. However, the views along the coast were pretty spectacular, making it worth the effort. Every now and then a sign pointed out to a rock that was supposed to resemble a common object. In our books, they just looked like ordinary rocks. What was cool, though, was that we could climb over and through one of pile of rocks (Fa Peng), the tapered rock surfaces framing our photos in unique ways. From here, there was one final staircase down to a lookout over the main beaches (Kwun Yam Beach and Tung Wan Beach), dotted with swimmers, kayakers and windsurfers, before climbing back up again to make our way into town.




