Cheung Chau’s beaches are too calm for surfing, but that does not stop some local surf enthusiasts from finding a creative way to enjoy the sport. Now families can enjoy surfing at Cheung Chau Surf Park.

Instructors at this ‘wave pool’ surfing facility help everyone, from four-year-olds and older, become familiar with the sport in a safe and supervised setting. Bodyboarding, kneeling and stand-up methods are taught as controlled, propelled jet-streams provide an ideal, ankle-high level of water for learning how to surf or improving surfing skills.

The park, situated just off Tung Wan Beach, provides changing rooms and hot-cold showers as well as BBQ facilities.

The path extending inland from Kwun Yam Beach leads to the relaxing 850-metre-long paved hiking pathway, Mini Great Wall, a part of the Cheung Chau Family Trail that hugs the island’s southern coast. Built in 1997, the stone railings are designed to resemble China’s Great Wall. The hike is initially steep, but levels out to offer sea views of Hong Kong Island and Lamma Island. Along the way, look out for many fascinating rock formations that resemble animals and numerous species of birds, many of which make stops on the island during their seasonal migration.

Countless visitors have enjoyed the ultimate Cheung Chau seafood feast, to the left after getting off the ferry.

The restaurants lining the northern end of Pak She Praya Road (commonly referred to as ‘Seafood Street’) provide al fresco dining beside the harbour with atmospheric sea views of gently swaying boats and stunning sunsets.

Enjoy freshly caught fare off the daily menu, or you can bring your own, bought from the fish tanks of the island’s many proud fishmongers offering delicious garoupa, cod, lobster and crab. Prices vary with the seasons.

Picture-perfect Tung Wan Tsai (or Coral Beach) offers a tranquil alternative to Tung Wan and Kwun Yam Wan, the two more popular beaches.

This small, delightful beach tucked away within its private cove, with jungle greenery creeping right up to the sand, provides fine views across the water to a Hong Kong that will seem to exist a whole world away. However, swimming here is not recommended.

Cheung Chau’s Amah Rock Viewpoint features a collection of interesting rocky outcrops and cliff-edge boulders that seem to defy gravity.

At the top of the hill, one distinct rock resembles a woman holding a child, hence its name.

These unique rock formations provide authentic natural images in themselves, or great places for visitors to use as backdrops while they pose for selfies.

When the weather is just right, North Lookout Pavilion, the island’s highest spot, and the nearby Pak Kok Tsui peninsula offer enthralling, Instagrammable views. From these vantage points, you can see across Cheung Chau, as far as Lamma Island and even the iconic Tsing Ma Bridge connecting Lantau Island to the city. The sunsets here are truly spectacular.

The lanes and squares around Chung Hing Street have been rejuvenated in recent years, attracting a new generation of island residents and visitors who want alternatives to Cheung Chau’s traditional fare.

A stroll around Chung Hing Street will reveal al fresco restaurants serving Malaysian and Vietnamese cuisine, international brunches and aromatic coffees, where you can sit and relax while watching life on the island go by.