Now is the perfect time for a leisurely ramble around the southwest corner of Cheung Chau, and a day far away from the disturbances wrought by protests elsewhere in Hong Kong. These days the usually busy streets of the outlying island 10km (6 miles) southwest of Hong Kong Island are quiet, with barely a tourist in sight. Once you step off the ferry on the west coast of Cheung Chau , on the waterfront road called the Praya, the main beach is a couple of minutes’ walk away, just in front of you. There are convenience stores, supermarkets, restaurants and more here. Look to the right along the waterfront, and you will see the public pier, topped by an impressive, tent-like roof. From here, sampans shuttle across the harbour to Sai Wan, a village in the southwest of the island. The ride takes around 10 minutes, passing moored vessels, including fishing boats that venture as far south as Indonesia on month-long forays to catch and bring back coral reef fish. At Sai Wan, there is a harbour barely as big as a soccer pitch, where some of the houseboats ejected from Discovery Bay Marina last year are moored just outside the pier. Hop off the sampan and there are steps to a junction with footpaths to a wooded headland. The path to the right is more interesting, as a minute or two of walking brings you to a pretty temple honouring Tin Hau, goddess of the sea. From here, and from a neighbouring pavilion, there are fine views over Cheung Chau’s main harbour – an expanse of water bounded by three barriers built of rocks, which protect it against storm waves. Ashore, on the low hills of north Cheung Chau, houses nestle on the slopes. The bigger island of Lantau is a couple of kilometres to the northwest, its bays and headlands backed by wooded, undulating hills higher than any on Cheung Chau, that rise towards Sunset Peak. Beyond the pavilion, a flight of steps leads to the top of the headland, where a right turn takes you towards Cheung Po Tsai Cave, which is nothing more than a cavity eroded through the granite rock of the shoreline. You might be able to wriggle your way in, but you won’t find even a hint of the treasure of the pirate it was named after. Look for a path on the left, where, confusingly, signposts indicate the way to Reclining Rock while also noting you cannot reach it this way. In fact, if you are reasonably fit, it is easy to reach the rock, and continue beyond it. Steps head down towards the shore; you have to stoop beneath granite boulders, then pass through a cleft in the rock, before arriving at a coastal footpath which makes for easy walking along the rocky shoreline. The path ends at a cove, where you can continue with a bit of scrambling and jumping, or squeezing between boulders, then cross a patch of sand – if it is low tide. At high tide you'll have to paddle, or use very basic metal ladders to climb up and over boulders (turn back if this looks too daunting). After a little more clambering over rocks, the path restarts. Steps take you to a point beside the Reclining Rock, which is a boulder the size of a minivan, perched atop a rocky slope. If you look out to sea here, you might catch a glimpse of a finless porpoise – a globally endangered species. From above they look at first like big grey tyres when they bob to the surface; they disappear and reappear a short distance away. The island of Shek Kwu Chau lies to the west, and you can just see barges at work, preparing the platform for what will be one of the world's biggest waste incinerators, The path continues through sparse, clifftop woodland, then drops to a bay that is sheltered by a pair of rocky headlands. This 70-metre-long beach, backed by grass and trees, makes an attractive spot to linger and enjoy some tranquillity. There is a path up from the beach, to a junction with Peak Road. Turn right, and you can eventually drop down to near the ferry pier, or follow paths to explore the island's southeast corner. A left turn takes you back to the harbour at Sai Wan; probably less than an hour after you set off, longer if you lingered en route. Perhaps it’s lunchtime, in which case it may be wise to make for Sai Wan, then follow a harbourside road towards the main village, where restaurants abound. This road is popular with cyclists, and if you would like to join them, you will soon find places where bicycles are for rent – though bring your own helmet if you want one. There are no cars, unless you happen across the island’s police car; sometimes you may need to dodge a motorised village vehicle. You will pass an unfinished housing estate. When developer Cecil Chao bought the site in 2007 , he announced: “We will not only turn the site into a paradise in Cheung Chau, we will also change the surroundings.” Plans for the site included an artificial beach and a pier. With scruffy metal fencing, most flats still empty and no sign of the promised beach or lagoon, it seems paradise remains elusive. The Buddhist Wai Yan Memorial College is a couple of minutes further along, and soon after the school you can turn down side streets to find small restaurants offering simple set lunches. In this central area of Cheung Chau, the low-rise buildings are mostly in rows and line narrow streets. On their ground floors are shops selling clothes, vegetables and household goods, with flats on the second and third floors. Head north, and you'll come to the main route between the ferry pier and the island’s main beach. This opens to a small square, beside which a sacred banyan tree is decorated with red banners, lanterns and imitation firecrackers. The beach, at Tung Wan, is a broad strip of sand with two schools and a beach cafe alongside. It attracts swimmers year-round, though in cooler weather most visitors are content to stroll or sit on the sand. Walk right, past the Windsurfers Centre, and you could pass the smaller Kwun Yam Wan beach, then head up to the Mini Great Wall – a footpath along a scenic stretch of coast with naturally sculpted boulders dotting hillsides clothed in scrub and sparse woodland. Head left, follow the path as it leaves the beach, and a right turn leads to Cheung Chau's main temple, dedicated to Pak Tei – the Northern King. This is a cheery-looking temple, with brightly painted statues, including of dragons, fringing the red-tiled roof. A soccer pitch below becomes, each spring, the focal point of the Cheung Chau Bun Festival, which celebrates the times Pak Tei supposedly helped rid the island of plague. Along the waterfront nearby is a row of seafood restaurants that are popular with islanders and visitors alike, their prices a fraction of their counterparts’ on Hong Kong Island. So Bor Kee is good if you like spicy food; otherwise opt for anywhere that looks popular with the locals. Even if you do not want dinner, having a drink at a waterfront bar or store is a great way to relax after roaming the coastal trails and streets of Cheung Chau. Watching the sun set over the harbour, Cheung Chau seems far from the city and the troubles of the world at large. Getting there Cheung Chau is reached by New World First Ferry, which operates frequent services to Cheung Chau from Central Pier 5 and a few ferries per day from Mui Wo, on Lantau Island, and Peng Chau , another island. For schedules: nwff.com.hk