South Lamma Villages Walk Sok Kwu Wan to Tung O, Shek Pai Wan, Yung Shue Ha and Mo Tat

The southern half of Lamma Island is where the crowds thin out. Past Sok Kwu Wan the trail narrows into footpaths linking a string of half-empty villages — Tung O, Yung Shue Ha and Mo Tat — strung along Shek Pai Wan, the largest beach on the island. The ferry operator, Hong Kong & Kowloon Ferry (HKKF), promotes this loop as eco-heritage Route Three: a quieter alternative to the busy Yung Shue Wan Family Walk, with no road traffic anywhere on the route.

It is also the part of Lamma most guides get wrong. The green-turtle beach at Sham Wan lies at the end of the walk, and the dates it is closed are printed incorrectly on many blogs. This page gives you the route, the villages to see, and the exact rules for the restricted beach.

South Lamma Walk at a Glance

RouteSok Kwu Wan Ferry Pier → Sok Kwu Wan Tin Hau Temple → Balcony Rock → Tung O → Shek Pai Wan Beach → Yung Shue Ha → Mo Tat Old Village → Lamma Island Family Walk → Sok Kwu Wan Ferry Pier
TimeAbout 2 to 2.5 hours of walking; 3 to 4 hours at an unhurried pace with stops
DifficultyModerate. Paved stretches plus rough coastal footpaths and steps; little shade in places
Start and finishSok Kwu Wan Ferry Pier
Bail-out pointsMo Tat or Sok Kwu Wan, both back to Aberdeen on the Chuen Kee ferry

A Second Route over Yam Ling Au

HKKF lists a second route over these villages under a separate Ling Kok Shan Hiking Trail heading. It runs the loop the other way round: Sok Kwu Wan, Mo Tat Old Village, Shek Pai Wan beach, Tung O, then back over Yam Ling Au to the pier. The operator times it at 2.5 hours. Both routes use the same pier, so the ferry is the same.

Route Map

Sok Kwu Wan Pier Tin Hau Temple / Balcony Rock Tung O Shek Pai Wan Beach Yung Shue Ha Mo Tat Sham Wan Restricted Area No entry 1 Apr – 31 Oct

Schematic route map — not to scale. The dashed area marks the Sham Wan Restricted Area.

Starting at Sok Kwu Wan

The walk starts at the Sok Kwu Wan Ferry Pier, the terminus of the HKKF ferry from Central. The village’s Tin Hau Temple sits just behind the waterfront, a small working temple that is worth the two-minute detour before you leave the harbour. The route out of the village climbs gently uphill on the path signposted towards Tung O, past the Balcony Rock viewpoint. From here the buildings fall away quickly and the south side opens up.

Tung O and Shek Pai Wan

Tung O is a small hamlet set back from the beach, one of the quiet southern settlements that most day-trippers never reach. A few minutes further on, the path meets Shek Pai Wan — the largest beach on Lamma Island, said to be tucked away from the weekend crowds. Tung O and Yung Shue Ha sit on opposite sides of this bay, facing each other across the sand.

There is no lifeguard on Shek Pai Wan. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department lists only two gazetted beaches on Lamma (Hung Shing Yeh and Lo So Shing), so anything you do at Shek Pai Wan is at your own risk. If you swim, do it with company, and stay aware of the current.

Yung Shue Ha

Yung Shue Ha is one of Lamma’s earliest villages, settled in the early 19th century by a clan from Bao’an County. Like Tung O, it is now sparsely populated — a shoreline row of homes rather than a working village. The route follows the coast here, so keep to the path and respect the houses: these are people’s homes, not attractions.

Mo Tat Old and New Village

Mo Tat marks the point where the loop starts to head back. The old village holds ruined and abandoned houses; the relocated village sits closer to the ferry pier. This is one of the two places you can leave the walk by water, catching the ferry back to Aberdeen (see below). From Mo Tat the path rejoins the Lamma Island Family Walk and returns to Sok Kwu Wan.

Sham Wan: Look, Don’t Enter (1 April – 31 October)

Do not walk on the Sham Wan sand between 1 April and 31 October.

  • Status: Sham Wan is a Restricted Area under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (Cap. 170), and a Site of Special Scientific Interest since 1999.
  • Closure dates: 1 April to 31 October every year. The period was extended from five months to seven with effect from 1 April 2021. (Ignore the “1 June” closure date you will see on some blogs — it is out of date.)
  • What is restricted: a beach of about 0.5 hectare plus a sea inlet of 98.2 hectares adjoining it.
  • Penalty: unauthorised entry carries a maximum fine of HK$50,000.
  • Why it matters: Sham Wan is the only site in Hong Kong where green turtles nest.

You can still view the bay from the walking route during the closed season — just do not set foot on the sand. For the full write-up of the beach itself, see our Lamma Island beaches and nature guide, where Sham Wan has its own section.

Getting Back

You have two options. Either complete the loop on foot back to Sok Kwu Wan — the Family Walk section is the easiest part of the day — or leave the walk by ferry. Chuen Kee Ferry Ltd runs the Aberdeen ↔ Mo Tat Wan ↔ Sok Kwu Wan route, so you can board at Mo Tat or Sok Kwu Wan for the return to Aberdeen. Handy if you have walked one way and want a different view on the way home.

Central-side sailings and fares are covered in our complete Lamma ferry schedule guide and how to get to Lamma Island; for the Aberdeen side specifically, see the Aberdeen to Lamma ferry guide.

Practical Notes

  • Water and food: buy drinks and snacks in Sok Kwu Wan (and, in season, Mo Tat) before and after the walk. There is nothing reliable between Sok Kwu Wan and Mo Tat Old Village.
  • Sun and exposure: much of the route is open to the weather. Take water, sun protection and a hat, and start early in summer.
  • No lifeguard: Shek Pai Wan has no lifeguard service. Swim with care or not at all.
  • Terrain: paved in parts, rough and stepped in others. Proper shoes, not flip-flops.
  • Restriction dates: if you are here between 1 April and 31 October, plan to view Sham Wan from the route only.

Frequently Asked

How long does the south Lamma villages walk take? About 2 to 2.5 hours of walking for the full loop from Sok Kwu Wan; 3 to 4 hours at an unhurried pace with stops. Treat that as a planning figure rather than a measured time.

Can I visit the sea-turtle beach? You can view Sham Wan from the walking route, but not enter the beach or the inlet beside it between 1 April and 31 October. It is a Restricted Area under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (Cap. 170), and unauthorised entry carries a maximum fine of HK$50,000.

Is there a ferry back from Mo Tat? Yes. Chuen Kee Ferry Ltd runs the Aberdeen ↔ Mo Tat Wan ↔ Sok Kwu Wan route, so you can board at Mo Tat Wan or Sok Kwu Wan for the return to Aberdeen.

Is there anywhere to eat on the south side? Nothing on the walk between Sok Kwu Wan and Mo Tat Old Village. Mo Tat Wan has one restaurant, The Bay at 7 Beach Front — it is closed Mondays, so check its hours before you count on it. Buy food and water in Sok Kwu Wan before you set out.

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Food and Dining

Because of the heritage of Lamma as a working fishing island there is no shortage of seafood restaurants on the island. Combined with the Cantonese love of fresh seafood and it is not hard to imagine how Lamma has become a go-to place for a seafood dinner.

There a large number of restaurants both at Yung Shue Wan and at Sok Kwu Wan, and both have a main street with a range of seafood restaurants. If Seafood is the main reason for your visit then Sok Kwu Wan will provide all your needs, but if you are interested in a wider range of cuisine and have more time then Yung Shue Wan while give you more choices.

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