Nobody tells you about Hac Sa Beach. The guidebooks mention it briefly and move on to the casino resorts, and most travelers to Macau never make it this far south. We took bus 26A from the ferry terminal to Coloane Village, transferred to the smaller 21A, and arrived at a curve of black sand so unexpected — dark volcanic mineral sand, not pollution, not coal — that we stopped on the bus steps just to confirm we were really in Macau.
The beach runs about 1.5 kilometers in a gentle curve, flanked by low forested hills and the Coloane Forest Park. The water is calm here, protected from the open sea, and in summer (May-September) warm enough for comfortable swimming. In cooler months, the beach shifts into a walking and picnicking destination — locals bring charcoal and use the public BBQ pits, families spread out along the sand, and the frenetic casino energy of the Cotai Strip feels like it belongs to a completely different city, which is 8 kilometers north.
Fernando’s Restaurant sits right on the beachfront and deserves its reputation. Nino Fereira has been cooking here since 1986, and the menu has barely changed: African chicken (grilled chicken marinated with chili, coconut, and aromatic spices — a Macanese-Portuguese-Mozambican creation), salt cod with potatoes and eggs, fresh sardines grilled over charcoal, and the house sangria served in ceramic jugs. The setting is a casual garden terrace shaded by tropical trees. No tablecloths, no pretense. Lunch for two runs MOP 250-400 including wine. Book ahead for weekend lunches — it fills up with both locals and the rare tourist who made the journey.
The Coloane Forest Park offers short hiking trails through the hills above the beach — well-marked, shaded paths that peak at Alto de Coloane with panoramic views over the South China Sea. The round trip takes about 90 minutes and rewards with perspectives you won’t get from a casino rooftop. Come back down, order Fernando’s dessert (serradura — Macanese sawdust pudding made from cream and crushed biscuits), and wait for the last bus back. This is the Macau day that converts skeptics.