We were having such a great time at the Venetian Macau that we could have enjoyed spending the whole day playing at the casino and doing photo ops at its grand halls but we needed to carry on to our next destination since we were flying out back to Manila the same day. Now off to Macau’s most famous landmark, the ruins of Saint Paul Cathedral and Senado Square!
We rode The Venetian Macau’s free shuttle back to the Macau Ferry Terminal and from there, we rode Bus 10A to Almeida Ribeiro Avenue. The street is a great attraction in itself with excellently preserved row of colorful street shops and heritage buildings such as the Banco Nacional Ultramarino (1902) and Central Post Office. At the center of Almeide Ribeiro is Senado Square (also called Senate Square).
Senado Square is a lively plaza/piazza with cobblestone streets where visitors and locals can sit at a table and watch the world go by over a cup of coffee. It boasts a rich architectural tradition – St. Dominic’s Church, the Holy House of Mercy, Leal Senado Building and Sam Kai Vui Kun Temple reflect the mix of modernity and cultural exchange of East and West.
Senado Square is actually part of the “Historic Centre of Macau,” which covers 8 squares and 22 buildings in Macau. The Historic Centre of Macau is included in United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s list of world heritage sites.
We followed the narrow passageways to the ruins of St. Paul and passed by food shops selling all sorts of meat jerky, tarts, and other foods. Most of the shops have free food tasting so we made sure grab some bites to sample the delicacies of Macau. I so love this place! You can really feel Macau’s organic urban core.
A few more steps later, we walked into a large open space where we caught our first glimpse of the St. Paul Cathedral ruins, historic Macau’s most famous attraction.
We spent a generous time to take pictures, we even took a jump shot of us on the grand staircase with the cathedral on the background, it was fun!
The Cathedral of Saint Paul in Macau used to be the largest Cathedral in Asia but was destroyed by a fire in 1835. What remains today is only its magnificent facade known for its size and intricately carved details.
Just beside the right the ruins of Saint Paul Cathedral is the Na Tcha Buddhist and Taoist temple, which is another testament of old Macau’s multicultural identity.
We then went uphill to Fortress Hill at the right side of Saint Paul Cathedral. It was very tiring to trek all the way to the top, I’ve read that there’s actually an elevator/escalator somewhere here but we didn’t know where it was.
After reaching near the top, we took a short rest on the benches and saw a number of Chinese joggers going around the hill for some exercise. There were a number of cannons surrounding the stone fortress and a 3 level museum built on top. The view was so worth the effort and provided a panorama of Macau Island.
I so wished we had more time to spend exploring the heritage sites of Macau. I had a fulfilling time soaking up the history of this once bustling Portuguese colony. All the more reasons to go back to Macau in future travels.
In the Philippine Ilonggo dialect, ambot ah literally means "I don't know." After graduating in college, I decided to hold off pursuing my profession and embarked on a free spirited journey of adventure and self-discovery. My travels have led me to many places across the Philippine Islands and South East Asia. I don't know where this path will take me but I'm certain I'll get a lifetime of stories out of it.
Hi there! thank you for sharing your wonderful trip to HK – Macau. will be going there this November, and your post is indeed very helpful for me to set our itinerary. I just have a few questions and I hope you don’t mind. How long is the travel time from Macau ferry terminal to the Venetian hotel and from venetian hotel to senado square/St. paul? thanks in advance and hope to hear from you soon. cheers!
You’re welcome :) From Ferry Terminal to Venetian Hotel was probably just 20 minutes and from there to Senado Square was around 15 minutes.
Have a safe trip Chris.
we read your traveling and I very interested.
may I question , if I and my family ( 16 person ) from macau to hongkong – september 8, 2010 – I arrange go to : Madame Toussaud , Ngo Ping and Mongkok , can you help me to make scedule ( effisien and effective ) because I’dont know go to three place . we star from Shun Tak terminal .
Thank you for your help .
hello ninik, pls. refer to: http://www.ambot-ah.com/2009/11/10/hong-kong-macau-itinerary/
Your blog is interesting and very informative. My question is from HK to Macau, before sightseeing the places in Macau, where did you left your baggages or you brought it all along the tour? Cos our flight back to Philippines from Macau is 10pm. I’m travelling with 3 kids and 2 adults. I’m wondering where we can leave our baggages while strolling the area during the day. Thanks. Did you try the Gondola ride? How was it and what’s the best time to ride pm or evening? Thank you.
We left it in the concierge of Venetian Macau … we didn’t try the Gondola ride. It doesn’t matter what time you try it since the canals of The Venetian are all indoors.
What bus should we take from Ruins of St Paul going back to Macau Terminal? By the way thanks for posting your pics.
Thanks Sheila, it was bus 10A … you can find one along Almeida Ribiero / infront of Senado Square
hello! thanks so much for creating this site, its really a great help. My family is leaving for hongkong on the 30th, there’s 12 of us mostly kids. We have a very tight schedule since we only have to spend 2 full days and 1 night. I wanted to visit Macau too. What do you think are the best places to visit that could fit in our tight schedule?
Hi, I and my family will going to Visit Macau on 1/11/2011. We staying Royal hotel in Macau. How far from Royal Hotel to Venetian hotel, senado square & St. paul? What bus to take.
hi… i admire all ur pics of macau… my friends and i will be there next week and we want to go around Macau and really have fun. I would like to know how we can go to Senado Square from the ferry terminal? any suggestion? thanks
We took bus #10A. You can checkout our itinerary here: http://www.ambot-ah.com/hong-kong-macau-itinerary/