South Lantau Public Beaches
The south coast is where Lantau's swimmable public beaches are. Five of them are listed by the government as Island District beaches — Pui O, Lower Cheung Sha, Upper Cheung Sha, Tong Fuk and Silver Mine Bay at Mui Wo — and they are not interchangeable. They differ in how much shade and food they offer, whether the facilities suit small children, how long the sand runs, and whether anyone is watching the water in the month you visit. This page puts the five side by side and sets out the lifeguard season, so you can pick deliberately rather than by whichever one the bus stops at first.
The facilities, telephone numbers and lifeguard hours below come from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) beach record for the Islands District. Beach information is published as a season, so check the LCSD pages again if you are travelling outside the dates shown. LCSD beach information as published, checked October 2026.
South Lantau Beaches at a Glance
| Beach | Facilities | Barrier-free features | Lifeguard season | Enquiry phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Mine Bay Beach (Mui Wo) | Fast food kiosk; 24 BBQ pits; changing room; shower facilities; toilet; family changing room; babycare room; beach volleyball court | Accessible toilet | April–October, plus November and March 8am–5pm; December–February suspended | 2984 8229 |
| Pui O Beach | Fast food kiosk; 6 BBQ pits; changing room; shower; toilet; universal toilet and babycare room | Accessible toilet; tactile guide path; braille and tactile floor plan | April–October; winter suspended | 2984 7675 |
| Lower Cheung Sha Beach | Changing room; shower facilities; toilet | — | April–October; winter suspended | 2980 2674 |
| Upper Cheung Sha Beach | Light refreshment kiosk; 7 BBQ pits; changing room; shower; toilet | — | April–October; winter suspended | 2980 2114 |
| Tong Fuk Beach | Changing room; shower facilities; toilet | — | April–October; winter suspended | 2980 2730 |
Barrier-free facilities are listed on the LCSD record for Silver Mine Bay and Pui O; the other three beaches are recorded with the facilities shown above and no barrier-free features of their own. The district leisure office for all five is on 2852 3220.
🗓️ The one rule that applies to all five
Summer lifeguard cover runs April to October. In that window the hours are 9am–6pm in April, May, September and October; through June, July and August they are 9am–6pm on weekdays and 8am–7pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. In winter the cover is withdrawn: on four of the five beaches lifeguard services are suspended from November to March, and the exception is Silver Mine Bay, which keeps a shorter 8am–5pm service through November and March but is still unguarded in December, January and February.
Pui O — the family option
Pui O is the beach to choose if the group includes small children or anyone who needs step-free access. It is the best-equipped of the five for families: a fast food kiosk, a changing room, showers and toilets alongside a universal toilet and babycare room, and an accessible toilet reached by a tactile guide path with a braille and tactile floor plan. There are six BBQ pits if you plan to grill.
The beach sits on the south coast between Mui Wo and Cheung Sha, with the Chi Ma Wan peninsula behind it, and it is served by the same road as the beaches either side. Lifeguards are on duty in the summer season only, so a winter visit means no one watching the water.
Lower and Upper Cheung Sha — the long-sand option
Cheung Sha is the beach people picture when they picture a Lantau beach: a long, straight sweep of sand facing south, described by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department as the territory's longest beach at around 3 km. It is administered as two beaches, Lower Cheung Sha and Upper Cheung Sha, but to anyone on the sand it is one continuous run, and you can walk the whole length between them.
The facilities are split between the two ends, which decides where to aim. Upper Cheung Sha carries the light refreshment kiosk and seven BBQ pits, so it is the busier, more serviced end. Lower Cheung Sha has the basics — changing room, showers and toilets — and tends to be quieter. Both share the same summer lifeguard season as the rest of the coast and both are unguarded in winter.
✅ Staying near the beach
Cheung Sha and Pui O have the coast's beach-camping and glamping sites, so a night on the sand is possible without leaving the island. Our guide to glamping and outdoor accommodation on Lantau covers the options near these beaches.
Tong Fuk — the quiet option
Tong Fuk is the low-key choice on the same stretch, with the same summer lifeguard protection and the same basic facilities — changing room, showers and toilets — but no kiosk and no BBQ pits, which keeps it quieter than Cheung Sha. It suits anyone who wants sand and water without the crowd, and is best planned around the same summer season as the rest of the south coast. Bring what you need for the day, as there is no food on site.
Silver Mine Bay (Mui Wo) — the one with winter lifeguards
Silver Mine Bay at Mui Wo is the best-served beach of the five and the only one with lifeguards outside the summer months. Its season includes a shorter service in November and March, 8am–5pm, on top of the standard April–October cover; December, January and February are still suspended. It is also the busiest: a fast food kiosk, 24 BBQ pits, a beach volleyball court, a family changing room and a babycare room, plus an accessible toilet for barrier-free access.
Because it sits beside Mui Wo town, it is the easiest to reach without a car — the ferry from Central Pier 6 lands a short walk from the sand (see the Mui Wo ferry schedule), and Mui Wo is the transport hub for buses along the south coast. Silver Mine Bay also happens to be one of only two Hong Kong beaches where the LCSD runs a real-time crowd-level indicator, so you can check how busy it is before you set out.
Swimming Safety and Seasons
The beaches are lifeguarded in the season published above and not lifeguarded outside it. Four of the five lose their lifeguards entirely from November to March, and even Silver Mine Bay's November and March cover stops short of a full year. If you swim in winter, you are swimming an unguarded beach.
On the LCSD beach records, three symbols matter:
- # — the beach is provided with shark prevention nets.
- ! — the beach is not open for swimming.
- + — the telephone number shown is answered during office hours at the District Leisure Services Office.
For anything out of the ordinary — a special incident, a temporary closure or a change to the season — the LCSD posts press releases, and those are the authoritative source. Treat any water-quality or shark-activity claim you read elsewhere with caution; this page does not rank the beaches by safety and makes no water-quality claim.
✅ Getting to the south Lantau beaches
All five beaches lie along the south Lantau coast road, reached either from Mui Wo, where the ferry lands, or from Tung Chung by the road over the island. See our guides to getting to Lantau and the transportation hub for the connections, and the Mui Wo ferry schedule for the crossing from Central. The operator publishes the current bus timetable, so confirm route numbers and times before you travel rather than relying on a printed list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a lifeguard in December?
No. On every south Lantau beach listed here, lifeguard services are suspended from December to February. Four of the five are also unguarded in November and March; the exception is Silver Mine Bay, which keeps an 8am–5pm service through November and March but suspends it for December, January and February.
Which beach is best with kids?
Pui O, for the universal toilet, babycare room, accessible toilet and tactile path, or Silver Mine Bay, which adds a family changing room, a babycare room and a beach volleyball court. Cheung Sha has the longest, most open sand but fewer family-specific facilities.
Are the beaches accessible?
Silver Mine Bay has an accessible toilet, and Pui O has an accessible toilet plus a tactile guide path and a braille and tactile floor plan. Lower Cheung Sha, Upper Cheung Sha and Tong Fuk are not recorded with barrier-free features of their own.
Can I barbecue at the beach?
Yes, where pits are provided: Silver Mine Bay has 24 BBQ pits, Upper Cheung Sha has 7 and Pui O has 6. Lower Cheung Sha and Tong Fuk have no BBQ pits.
Which beach is Hong Kong's longest?
Cheung Sha, which runs for around 3 km along the south Lantau coast. It is administered as Lower Cheung Sha and Upper Cheung Sha, but the sand is continuous between them.
Can I swim outside the lifeguard season?
Lifeguards are a safety service, not a rule. Outside April–October (and outside Silver Mine Bay's November and March window) the beaches are unguarded, which is the single most important thing to weigh before swimming in winter.
Related reading: the family-friendly Lantau guide, Lantau by season, glamping and outdoor accommodation, Tai O fishing village for the west coast, and the Lantau Island day trip 2027 for fitting a beach into a wider day.