Bus #9 from Shau Kei Wan (next to the MTR station); or Sunday only #309 from Exchange Square, Central (hourly 2.10-6.10pm; last bus back departs Shek O at 7pm).

Shek O is an unpretentious village down at Hong Kong’s southeastern reaches, with the best beach on the island: wide, with white sand and fringed by shady trees, it can get very full at the weekend and the water is sometimes not fit for swimming. There are also a few restaurants and expat bars in the village, and on Sunday extra snack stalls open, serving the crowds who come down to swim. Unsurprisingly, Shek O is one of the most desirable addresses in Hong Kong, and there are some upmarket pieces of real estate in the area. You can get a flavour of things by walking through the village parallel with the beach and following the path up to Shek O Headland for some sweeping panoramas.

For more space and fewer people, Big Wave Bay is a half-hour walk north of Shek O, with another good beach, barbecue pits and a refreshment kiosk.