Cape D’Aguilar beautiful vistas and fantastic views
Cape D’Aguilar was named after Major-General Sir George Charles D’Aguilar
Craggy cliffs of Cape D’Aguilar teeming with wild flora
Cape D’Aguilar
Situated on a peninsula located in southeast Shek O, Cape D’Aguilar is a unique trail that brings together the history of the area with the natural landscape.
Vibrant Bush Thunbergia
Alongside the variety of flowers, towering trees that offer shade and clear views of the ocean, the trail rises and falls with the natural landscape, passing through the sprawling Hok Tsui Tsuen.
Like much of the trail, the start of the road was wide and paved
People of all ages enjoy the eight-kilometre round trip — fit runners sprinting past, giggling tai tai’s gossiping about their weekly events, families giving encouraging words to their children, and groups of friends — all who frequently pause for scenic coastal photography of Tai Tam Bay and the South China Sea.
Tai Tam Bay
Ending at a lighthouse, dizzying rock formations and a marine reserve, Cape D’Aguilar Road began with a view of Shek O Beach.
Related People and crafts that facilitated transport across Victoria Harbour
The cape was named after Major-General Sir George Charles D’Aguilar, who first served as the Lieutenant Governor of Hong Kong and later as the Commander of the British Forces in Hong Kong (from 1843 to 1848).
A dirt path paved by many hikers’ feet, it is set beside the Supersite Air Quality Monitoring Station
Working during the interwar period between the First and Second Opium Wars, the socio-economic landscape of Hong Kong underwent a massive restructuring, with the establishment of the Legislative Council and a colonial police force.
Fruits from the alpine pasque flower
D’Aguilar oversaw the initial court sessions for criminal and admiralty matters in this new British colony. No stranger to conflict, prior to his position in Hong Kong, D’Aguilar was stationed in Ireland for twelve years as assistant adjutant-general of the British army.
A scenic view of Beaufort Island
His promotion to the rank of Major-General occurred two years prior to his move to Hong Kong.
The road starts past a roundabout for buses and taxis to collect and drop off customers. As you begin walking down the trail, the Cape D’Aguilar Quarry can be seen to your immediate right, the sight including a thin strip of beach.
Abundant flora
Besides fuchsia-coloured bougainvillea and fire-red bauhinias, the trail is adorned with delicate white Indian hawthorne, broad-petaled elephant creepers, and fruiting alpine pasqueflowers.
Clear pools allowed glimpses into the life that grew within them
The inviting yellow and pink hues of the largeleaf lantana, and the delicate spring yellow petals of the flowering Caesalpinia platyloba are especially inviting to the local butterflies that flit about.
A redbase Jezebel butterfly gathering nectar from the leatherleaf arrowwood
Broad-leafed monsteras grow between boulders, relaxing under the shade of a tall tree’s canopy.
Related Rare Hong Kong trees make life a joy in the city
Approximately halfway along the road, the trees’ canopies move from providing partial protection to wholly covering the trail in a rewarding shade.
Lance-leaved Sterculia, a plant native to Hong Kong
This respite from the sun encompasses the entire length of Hok Tsui Tsuen, something enjoyed by the hiking visitors. Curious village dogs wander between the many groups of strangers.
Related High Island UNESCO World Heritage site
The village housing sits on either side of the road, neatly staggered on the sloping hill. Many exteriors are adorned with blooming bougainvillea or blazing bauhinias that scale the dizzyingly tall gates and wire fences.
Final stretch on the trail
The final stretch of the trail is marked by the sight of the Cape D’Aguilar Supersite Air Quality Monitoring Station.
Related Power of the sun is transforming Hong Kong sustainability
A worn dirt path guides visitors around the station, past the humorously named Garbage Bay, and back onto Cape D’Aguilar Road.
The rocky shores
Narrow pylons soon rise among thick trees, their wires criss-crossing in the clear sky, signalling to visitors that they are drawing closer to the cable stations at the tip of the cape, and nearing the historical and natural landmarks that the cape is renowned for.
Stunning geometric designs from millennia of crashing shores and storms
A fork in the road divides the path to the lighthouse on the left and the marine reserve and natural geological rock formations to the right.
Steps leading up the lighthouse, repaired since their original construction
With levelled stairs and cut boulders neatly joined together in a mosaic of stone, the lighthouse has been treated with preservation efforts since 3 March 2006, when it was declared a historical monument.
Related Big Buddha a colossal gift for people of faith
An expensive construction, the lighthouse stands at 9.7 metres tall. The city’s oldest surviving lighthouse is a round granite tower.
Cape D’Aguilar lighthouse
Its base and arched doorway are both constructed from rustic stone blocks, while the iron door is laurelled with a geometric decoration.
Related Hong Kong Man Mo Temple for Faith and Fortune
The top of the tower is fitted with a simple balcony rail. As lighthouses are expected to withstand the immense force of tropical storms, their cylindrical design is a great example of stone masonry.
Much of the cape comprised of steep, uneven rocky terrain
Fitted with a fixed dioptric Fresnel lens, the lighthouse emitted a white light on a focal plane 61 metres above sea level. On clear days, its light could be seen from 23 nautical miles (43 kilometres).
Related Tung Chung Fort first defence from fearless pirates of the sea
Cape D’Aguilar lighthouse served from 16 April 1875 to 1896. Its end days were marked by the construction of Waglan Island Lighthouse (one of four miniature outlying islands visible from Cape D’Aguilar).
An old brick wall that runs along the perimeter of the lighthouse
As such, the cape’s original lighthouse was soon abandoned. In 1905, the disused light and accompanying ancillary equipment were moved to replace the equipment on Green Island.
Related Lantau Island’s Secret Garden
By 1975, the original D’Aguilar lighthouse was relit and automated. Remnants of the original low-lying brick wall that once encircled the lighthouse remain; hidden underneath a tree whose branches fell to the dusty ground.
A bundle of Silver Dollar succulents
Returning to the main road, a sharp bend provides a clear view of the marine reserve and Cape D’Aguilar Bay, both situated at the end of the trail.
Related Leisurely hike to Trappist Haven Monastery Lantau Island
A pebble beach stands between the end of the road and Cape D’Aguilar Marine Reserve. Concrete docks emerge from the water in a steady slope, their slow ascension easily seen in the near-transparent water.
D’Aguilar Marine Reserve
During my visit, the D’Aguilar Marine Reserve was covered in bamboo scaffolding and draped with green net as it underwent exterior renovation.
The view of Cape D’Aguilar, with the miniature island Ng Fan Chau in the distance
Between the bay and the reserve sit the bones of “Miss Willy”, the full skeleton of a whale. As the skeleton has not been protected from natural elements, fragments of “Miss Willy” have gone missing over the years.
The bones of “Miss Willy”, the full skeleton of a whale
The history of the bones is in speculation, with locals ultimately torn between the identities of “Hoi Wai”, a female orca that performed in Ocean Park for eighteen years, and a juvenile Bryde’s whale that was found stranded between wharf pillars in Victoria Harbour in 1955.
Related Voyage Through Time: Looking at Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong
Walking past the reserve and whale bones, visitors are rewarded with the unique sight of Crab Cave. Sharp, protruding rocks in shades of copper and slate emerge from the ground to pierce the sky.
The view from inside Crab Cave
The uneven terrain demands cautious steps to avoid twisted ankles. The Silver Dollar succulent grows in abundance, settling into many pockets found between jagged rocks.
Related Lamma Island visit for a meal and the bohemian easy-going lifestyle
The broad shape of the arch gives the appearance of a crab. Igneous rocks are the predominant type in the area, their craggy edges owing to rough waves eroding the rocks, leading to its stunning patterns and polished looks.
Visitors clambered under the rocky crab formation for a respite
The “crab’s” underbelly offers a cool respite from the glaring sun. Condensation glitters on the rocky ceiling, and the light from the rolling waves reflects on the slanted roof.
Related High Island UNESCO World Heritage site
The narrow ocean view shown in the gap of Crab Cave offers a neatly balanced display of land and sea, with tall stone walls on either side.
A view of Kau Pei Chau
Closer to the water, sea lettuce grows in small bunches, gleaming from the dampness of the shoreline they called home. Old top shells have fused themselves onto rocky surfaces.
Related Tai O is more than stilt houses and beautiful sunsets
In small pools protected by broad jagged rock formations, larger clusters of green lettuce thrive underwater.
Long tendrils of sea lettuce, Cape D’Aguilar
As the afternoon sun settled in the sky, I made my return trip to the start of Cape D’Aguilar Road.
Related Thriving nature found hiking on the Old Olympic Trail
The blaring heat had little effect on people’s enthusiasm, as I passed by many groups of intrepid day-trippers eager to enjoy the sights and the beautiful weather we were blessed with.
Text & Photos Victoria Mae Martyn
