Hong Kong Beach Guide
Hong Kong has a long coastline which is full of twists and turns with many bays and beaches. Many of them are well sheltered by mountains nearby, as Hong Kong is a mountainous place. As a result, huge waves seldom appear at the bays, which makes them suitable for swimming.
All beaches are open to the public; some are run by Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD). These beaches are gazette with lifeguards, showers changing rooms and other facilities.
Water temperature and quality are posted daily, and there is a flag system to indicate if safe to swim. However lifeguards are on duty only from April 1 to October 31 at most beaches.
A number of other beaches are privately-owned, but are nonetheless publicly accessible.
Hong Kong Beaches managed by the LCSD suitable for swimming
At present, a total of forty beaches in Hong Kong are managed by the LCSD. Eleven of them are located on Hong Kong Island and the southern part of Kowloon Peninsula and the remaining 29 are located across the New Territories, including the outlying islands.
New Territories
Butterfly Beach
Butterfly Beach is located in Tuen Mun.
Golden Beach
Golden Beach is located at the 18.5 km milestone of Castle Peak Road, Tuen Mun. It is the largest beach in Tuen Mun with a total area of 78,500 m² and a length of 545 meters. It is the first artificial beach in Hong Kong. It is classified as a Grade 2 beach, meaning that the water quality is fair. Refreshment kiosks, a hotel and a shopping mall are to be found adjacent to the beach.
Golden Beach is unique amongst Hong Kong beaches in that it has a volleyball court. The Hong Kong Beach Volleyball Team occasionally practises on Golden Beach.
Golden Beach is served by KMB buses no. 52M from Kwai Fong and no. 53 from Tsuen Wan.
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach Ma Wan island
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach is located on Ma Wan island.
Clearwater Bay Beaches
Clearwater Bay Peninsula contains two scenic Hong Kong Beaches - Clearwater Bay First Beach (grade 1) and Clearwater Bay Second Beach (grade 2).
The beach is occasioned by families every weekend, and in this regard carparks, refreshment kiosks and barbecue pits are to be found there. To ensure the safety of swimmers, lifeguards and shark nets are also present on the beach.
Clearwater Bay is served by KMB bus no. 91, from Diamond Hill MTR station. This pair of beaches is the closest seaside escape for residents of Kowloon, and can be packed on weekends. The bay is scenic surrounded by hills and is often full of pleasure boats.
Hong Kong Island Beaches
Big Wave Bay Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach is located at Big Wave Bay, on the eastern coast of Hong Kong Island.
As its name suggest, this village beach is frequented by surfers, although Hong Kong waves are never very big, except during typhoons. You can rent boards and enjoy a barbecue at this beach, which has also showers and changing rooms. The village marks the end of Hong Kong trail.
Shek O Beach
- See Shek O.
Turtle Cove Beach
The beach situated at east of Stanley and west of Tai Tam Reservoir is Turtle Cove Beach which is a Grade 1 beach. Being less than 70 meters long, it can easily be considered as a baby beach. Because there are no signposts, people do not know that you are already there until you get there. It is pretty quiet since it is only frequented by those in the know. Turtle Cove is very well "equipped"; with changing rooms, toilets and showers as well as a small playground, a soft drinks kiosk and a couple of barbecue pits.
To get there, people can take bus No.14 from exit A of the Sai Wan Ho MTR station. Once having gone past the Tai Tam Reservoir, they should keep an eye open for a building called Red Hill on their left. Then they should get off at that stop, and walk on till stairs leading people down the hill can be seen. People can reach the Beach by following those.
Repulse Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach is a popular beach on Hong Kong Island. It is quite near Repulse Bay Beach. Therefore, there is a pathway connecting the two beaches, Marechiato Seaview Promenade. People can have a walk along the pathway from one beach to another beach, watching the beautiful view nearby. As Deep Water Bay Beach is a Grade 2 beach, the water quality of the Beach is fair.
There are refreshment kiosk and barbecue area near Deep Water Bay Beach for people to have their meals or barbecue. Moreover, the Beach is next to a golf course. So apart from swimming, people can also go there to play golf.
It is quite convenient for people to go to Deep Water Bay Beach. They can go there by Bus no. 6A, 6X and 260 from Central HK. Also they can travel to there by private cars, as there are car parks near the Beach.
Stanley Beaches
Lamma Island Beaches
Hung Shing Yeh Beach the most popular beach on Lamma Island. The sand on the beach is very fine like powder. The water of the Beach is clean and it is classified as a Grade 1 beach.
Lo So Shing Beach is located on Lamma Island about halfway between the main villages of Yung Shue Wan and Sok Kwu Wan. The water of the beach is clean and it is classified as a Grade 1 beach. Some years ago the government of Hong Kong built shower and refreshment facilities here, which remain almost unused because of the beach's remote location.
Lantau Island Beaches
Silvermine Beach
Hong Kong's largest island, Lantau, has several beaches which are clean, uncrowded and relatively convenient to get there. For all of them, the first step is to simply take the ferry from Central to Mui Wo. Then, if necessary, people can just hop on a bus.
Silvermine Beach which is a Grade 1 beach is the easiest one to get to since it is located about a 5 minute walk away from the Mui Wo ferry pier. Since there is a sandbar area, this beach is ideal for flinging frisbees or flying kites. Further along the beach is a swimming area with several lifeguards on duty. Many Lantau natives rent a bike for the afternoon, and stop off at the many refreshment kiosks and little restaurants along the road fronting the beach. If people do not feel like hurrying back into the city, they can also choose to stay overnight at the Silvermine Beach Hotel, located right on the waterfront. Also, there are several other hotels and guesthouses around there for people to stay.
Pui O Beach
Pui O Beach is located on the southern shore of Lantau Island.
Cheung Sha Beaches
Cheung Sha Beach on the southern shore of Lantau Ismand, is divided into two parts: Upper Cheung Sha Beach and Lower Cheung Sha Beach. It is 3km long and is the longest beach in Hong Kong.
Both have lifeguards and showers. Upper is Hong Kong's longest 3km of powdery sand. The lower in the other hand has more facilities and two pleasant beachside restaurant and small villages.
Cheung Chau Island Beaches
Tung Wan Beach and Kwun Yam Beach
There are two main Hong Kong Beaches on Cheung Chau, Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach and Kwun Yam Beach. They are not as big as those well-known beaches along the Hong Kong Island Coast. But, they do have their own characters.
Kwun Yam Beach is a beautiful fine white beach situated at the east coast of Cheung Chau. The water quality is good and it is classified as a Grade 1 beach. It provides a series of water sports facilities. Many lovers like to take leisure walks there and to enjoy the village scene which still keeps the old traditions.
This a regular meeting place for windsurfing devotees, and equipment can be rented, a small temple of Kwun Yam can be found up some steps at the southern end.
Also, it is the place at where Hong Kong first Olympic medalist, Lee Lai Shan, practiced when she was young. A formal monument to her achievement is erected in the children's playground on Tung Wan Beach while an unofficial monument is to be found beside the "winder surfer" cafe owned by her uncle which is situated between the two Hong Kong Beaches.
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Grading system of Hong Kong Beaches
Hong Kong Beaches are classified into four grades ( Grades 1 - 4 ) according to the level of E. coli in the water of the beaches. This is done by Environmental Protection Department. Every week, water sample of each beach is collected for analysis to find out its bacterial level.
Grade 1 means that the water qualities of the beaches are good. The amount of E. coil is no more than 24 counts per 100 mL of beach water. Also no case of skin and gastrointestinal illnesses is detected for swimmers who have swum in the beaches.
Grade 2 means that the water qualities of the beaches are fair. The amount of E. coil is about 25 - 180 counts per 100 mL of beach water. Also the rate of skin and gastrointestinal illnesses is no more than 10 cases per 1000 swimmers.
Grade 3 means that the water qualities of the beaches are poor. The amount of E. coil is about 181 - 610 counts per 100 mL of beach water. Also the rate of skin and gastrointestinal illnesses is about 11 - 15 cases per 1000 swimmers.
Grade 4 means that the water quality is very poor. The amount of E. coil is greater than 610 counts per 100 mL of beach water. Also the rate of skin and gastrointestinal illnesses is greater than 15 cases per 1000 swimmers. As a result, swimmers are advised not to swim in the Grade 4 beaches.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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