Until 1910 Coloane was a pirates' nest — a Portuguese attempt to clear the island of raiders ended in a battle that is still commemorated by a monument in the village square. Now it is the green escape from Macau's casino towers, with parks, beaches, and hiking trails that feel a world away from the Cotai Strip a few kilometres to the north.
The Seac Pai Van Park in the island's centre covers around 20 hectares and is home to over a hundred species of birds, a Natural and Agrarian Museum, and the free-entry Giant Panda Pavilion. On the southern shore, the Tam Kung Temple, built in 1862, houses a dragon boat carved from whale bone and decorated with silk banners — one of the stranger and more memorable objects in Macau. The Chapel of St. Francis Xavier, built in 1928, is worth a look for its pastel-yellow facade and quiet courtyard; it once held relics of the Nagasaki martyrs.
Hac Sa Beach on the south coast is the largest natural beach in Macau. The Coloane Trail leads 8 km up through forest to the hilltop A-Ma statue at 172 metres — the highest point in Macau — with views across to the Chinese mainland on a clear day.