As the highest point on the peninsula, Guia Fortress affords panoramic views of the city. At the top is the small but stunning Chapel of Our Lady of Guia, built in 1622 and retaining almost 100% of its original features, including frescoes with both Portuguese and Chinese details that are among Asia’s most important. Next to the chapel stands the oldest modern lighthouse (c 1865) on the China coast – a commanding 15m-tall structure, often open every Saturday and Sunday in July.
The entrance to the fortress has an attractive display of old typhoon signals that were hoisted during storms – large metallic physical symbols of the strong-wind numbering system adopted by Macau (and Hong Kong). Inside the fortress is an information gallery on the chapel and the complex. On the other side of the fortress is a tunnel showing old photos and replicas of how things used to look when it was an air-raid shelter.
You could walk up to the fortress and chapel, but it’s easier to take the Guia cable car that runs from the entrance of Flora Gardens, Macau’s largest public park.