How to hike wild side of Hong Kong’s Lamma Island: idyllic walk takes in beautiful hillsides and a cosy beach

While Sok Kwu Wan is familiar as a coastal village dominated by seafood restaurants, it's also a good starting place for an easy hike to explore the relatively little visited, wild south of Lamma – which resembles a corner of the far-flung New Territories.

Even at a gentle pace with plenty of stops en route, the circuit takes under three hours to complete, and with shady sections plus a fine beach and places to buy drinks, it’s a cracking choice for a summer outing.

If you start the hike at the Sok Kwu Wan ferry pier, turn right along the narrow street lined with restaurants. In the early morning, most are quiet, with only a handful of people eating breakfast – reflecting the fact there are few people in this area, and though there are boats on the water close by, there is no longer a thriving fishing community here.

There is still a well-maintained temple to Tin Hau, goddess of local fishermen, which you arrive at just after the restaurants. In front of it, a signpost indicates a concrete path uphill, along the South Lamma Family Walk towards Tung O.

This path leads into woodland with slender trees and bamboo. The inlet sheltering Sok Kwu Wan is soon lost from view. Even at a gentle pace, in less than half an hour you will emerge to hillsides with grass, scrub and boulders, and a side trail to the right leads to a pavilion affording splendid views of southern Lamma.