Macau China
Frequently Asked Questions
At the Taipa Maritime Terminal, south of the peninsula. The historic centre is about a 15-minute taxi ride away, so this is not a port where you step off into the old town.
No. The distance and traffic make a taxi or shuttle necessary, roughly 15 minutes each way. Build both legs into your all-aboard time.
Senado Square and its pastel arcades, then the five-minute climb to the Ruins of St. Paul's, with a stop at the Cotai resorts on the way back. All three fit into half a day.
The façade of the Ruins of St. Paul's, all that remains of a seventeenth-century Jesuit church destroyed by fire. Its monumental staircase and stonework carved with saints and dragons sum up the whole territory.
The pataca, though the Hong Kong dollar circulates everywhere and is accepted without trouble. Keep small notes for the stalls and bakeries of the old quarter.
Cantonese and Portuguese are official; English is widely used in tourism, hotels and taxis in visitor areas. Signage in the historic centre is often bilingual.
The Portuguese-style egg tart, caramelised with a blowtorch, and grilled pork buns. Macanese cooking, born of the marriage between Chinese ingredients and Portuguese recipes, is considered one of the world's first fusion cuisines.
Yes, for the architecture. Venetian canals under painted skies, a pocket-sized Eiffel Tower, theatres: the district built on reclaimed land between Taipa and Coloane works as a stage set, and it sits close to the cruise terminal.
Yes, provided you accept cobblestones and slopes. The historic centre is walkable with children, and the Cotai resorts offer shows and air-conditioned space when the heat turns heavy.
October to December, when the air is dry and mild. Summer is hot and very humid, typhoon season runs from June to September, and winter stays cool but comfortable.
