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Hiking Trail
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Sok Kwu Wan to Yung Shue Wan - Lamma Island, Hong Kong
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Hilltop pavilion viewPhoto: Phuong Do, Alpdest CEE
Only 30 minutes from Hong Kong’s downtown, Lamma Island is a popular weekend getaway because of its hiking trails, multicultural shops and cafes, and renowned seafood dining.
Lamma Island is the third largest of Hong Kong’s 260-plus outlying islands. It’s popular with day trippers wishing to escape the hustle and bustle of the city in favour of a relaxed day out. Explore Lamma’s rustic villages and coastal scenery, walking and hiking trails, or peaceful beaches, local temples and popular seafood restaurants. Here’s everything you need to know to get the most out of a trip to this beautiful island.
Those wishing to indulge in the latter will usually head to the old fishing village of Sok Kwu Wan. Here, a row of restaurants, perched above the bay on stilts, offer diners excellent seafood served with pleasant alfresco dining and sea views. Fresh chilli crab, garlic prawns, deep-fried squid and steamed fish with ginger and spring onions are all firm favourites.
Author’s recommendation
Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.
Track types
Safety information
Moderate difficulty (Leveled path, a number of replenishment options)Tips and suggestions
- Hiking: A good place to start is with Lamma’s popular family hiking trail, which takes just over an hour to walk. The 3km trail connects Lamma’s two largest villages along concrete paths with ample opportunity to take in the island’s stunning scenery. The trail starts from the ferry pier at Yung Shue Wan in the north-west and leads to Sok Kwu Wan in the south where several of the island’s finest seafood restaurants await you. Alternatively, there’s the 2.5 hour Ling Kok Shan trail which circles around the southern half of the island and takes in Lamma’s rustic old villages and serene coastal scenery.
- Tin Hau: Lamma is home to the 19th-century Tin Hau Temple. There is an abundance of temples in Chinese coastal areas dedicated to Tin Hau (Goddess of the Sea) but this one is particularly distinctive. The reason being that a pair of stone lions crouching at the gate of the temple were damaged in 1960 and later replaced by Western-style stone lions, which serious temple buffs will find amusing.
- Beaches: Lamma’s two main beaches, Hung Shing Yeh Beach and Lo So Shing Beach both offer crystal clear water and golden sand, making them ideal for sunbathing and swimming. There are designated BBQ spots as well for those wishing to cook their own lunch. Interestingly, Lamma is also home to Sham Wan – a beautiful bay in the south of the island that is Hong Kong’s only regular nesting site for endangered green turtles. However, the beach is closed to the public from June to October in order to protect the green turtles and their eggs.
- Kamikaze Caves: these caves are remnants from WW2 and were dug out by Japanese troops as hiding places for their boats and ammunition. The three caves occupy a series of tunnels along a trail from Lo So Shing to So Kwu Wan and although dark and a little spooky, they remain some of the more interesting historical sites on Lamma.
- Fisherfolk Village: This floating fisherman’s village located in the bay area of So Kwu Wan gives visitors a chance to experience what life was like when fishing used to be Hong Kong’s main industry. Here you’ll find traditional dragon boats, an exhibition hall, themed folklore booths, fishing rafts and tiny fisherman’s homes. Visitors can also try catching fish here themselves.
Roadbook
- Starting Point — Sok Kwu Wan
Visitors are welcomed by a streetful of seafood restaurants and arts and crafts stores once they disembark at the pier.
- Tin Hau Temple
This 150-year-old Tin Hau Temple is where local fishermen pray to Tin Hau, the Goddess of the Sea, for safety and fruitful returns before setting out to fish. Renovated after a fire in 2005, the temple houses a specimen of the world’s longest bony fish, giant oarfish (Regalecus glesne), discovered in 2001 in Lamma Island Strait.
- Hilltop pavilion (Lamma Island Family Walk)
Following the Family Walk you will soon reach a pavilion. Take a break and enjoy the magnificent view of Aberdeen, Repulse Bay and Ocean Park across East Lamma Channel.
- Hung Shing Yeh Beach
Fine sands, clear waters, beautiful sunshine and refreshing sea breeze — no wonder visitors and locals alike love to swim and sunbathe here!
- Lamma Winds
After a 20-minute hike from Hung Shing Yeh Beach to the hilltop of Tai Ling, a giant wind turbine comes into sight. It is Hong Kong’s first commercial-scale wind turbine, providing electricity to local residents and reducing the amount of coal burnt for energy by about 350 tonnes annually. Walk up a small stairway to the pavilion nearby for an open view of both the Lamma Wind Turbine and Lamma Power Station.
- End Point — Yung Shue Wan
Holiday rental flats, handicraft stores, bars, restaurants and cafes line the narrow streets of Yung Shue Wan. The village is a great hang-out for islanders and a colourful finale to your journey offering snacks and souvenirs before you hop on a ferry to Aberdeen and Central.
Public transport
Public-transport-friendly
FerryDirections
To the starting point:Take a 30-minute ferry ride from Central Pier 4 (MTR Hong Kong Station Exit E1, walk through ifc mall and the footbridge) to Sok Kwu Wan.
From the end point:Take a ferry from Yung Shue Wan pier to Central or Aberdeen. From here, public transport is available to other destinations.
Coordinates
Book recommendation by the author
Author’s map recommendations
Equipment
Basic hiking stuff, with comfortable clothes and shoesDerived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.
User Questions