Fodor's Expert Review Cheung Chau

This 2½-km-long (1½-mile-long) island southwest of Hong Kong is best known as the home of windsurfing Olympic gold medalist Lee Lai-shan. Residents live mostly on the sandbar connecting the two hilly tips of this dumbbell-shaped island. The town harbor is lined with seafood restaurants and shops. A 35-minute fast ferry departs from Central's Pier 5 outside Two IFC.

On sunny weekends, Cheung Chau's Tung Wan beach is so crowded that its sweep of golden sand is barely visible. At one end of the beach is the Warwick Hotel, and plenty of nearby restaurants offer food, refreshments, and shade. Apart from emergency vehicles, no private cars are allowed on this island. Among the tourist attractions, find the striking Pak Tai Temple, one of the oldest in Hong Kong, as well as a cave that allegedly housed the hidden treasures of pirate Cheung Po Tsai.