By air
Macau International Airport (MFM), ~20 min by road
East Asia · Macau
Historic Centre of Macau, Macau
Portuguese squares and Chinese temples side by side
Getting there
Best time to visit
October to December — cool, dry and sunny
Don't miss
Ruins of St. Paul's
Senado Square
A-Ma Temple
Guia Fortress
Things to do
Walking tours
Temple and church visits
Food crawls
Museum visits
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: K.Y.K.Z.K. · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Comfortable shoes, light layers, umbrella
A quieter corner
Lilau Square, a quiet square in one of the first Portuguese quarters
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Historic Centre of Macau?
October to December — cool, dry and sunny. What to pack: Comfortable shoes, light layers, umbrella.
How do I get to Historic Centre of Macau?
Fly into Macau International Airport (MFM), ~20 min by road.
What is there to do in Historic Centre of Macau?
Walking tours, temple and church visits, food crawls, museum visits. A quieter find: Lilau Square, a quiet square in one of the first Portuguese quarters.
What should I eat in Historic Centre of Macau?
Portuguese egg tarts, pork chop buns, minchi, almond cookies.
About Historic Centre of Macau
- Coastal
- Hills
Where it is
The Historic Centre of Macau covers the old heart of the Macau Peninsula, on the southern coast of China at the mouth of the Pearl River.
History
Portuguese traders settled in Macau in the mid-16th century, and it grew into a major meeting point between China and Europe. Churches, forts and Chinese temples were built close together. Macau was returned to China in 1999 as a special administrative region, and its historic centre was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005.
People
Cantonese is the everyday language in Macau, with Portuguese also an official language, and the Macanese community blends Portuguese and Chinese heritage.
Known for
- The facade of St Paul's
- Wave-patterned paving in Senado Square
- Chinese temples
- Portuguese colonial buildings
Did you know?
The lighthouse at Guia Fortress, first lit in the 19th century, was the first modern lighthouse on the coast of China.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.