Because the peninsula is only 8.9 sq. km (about 3 1/2 sq. miles), you can walk to most of the major sights (be sure to get a free map from MGTO). If you get tired, you can always jump into one of the licensed metered taxis, all painted black and beige and quite inexpensive. To overcome the language barrier, MGTO has supplied most taxis with a destination guide listing most destinations in both English and Chinese. The charge is $11 ptcs (US$1.45/75p) at flag fall for the first 1.5km (1 mile), then $1 ptc (US15¢/7p) for each subsequent 180m (594 ft.). A taxi from the peninsula all the way to Hac Sa Beach on Colôane Island costs about $85 ptcs (US$11/£5.95). Luggage costs $3 ptcs (US40¢/20p) per piece, and there's a surcharge of $5 ptcs (US65¢/35p) if you go all the way to Colôane. There is no surcharge, however, for the return journey to Macau. To order a taxi by phone, call tel. 853/939939 or 853/28519519.
Public buses run daily from 7am to midnight, with fares costing $2.50 ptcs (US30¢/15p) for travel within the Macau peninsula, $3.30 ptcs (US45¢/20p) for travel to Taipa, and $4 ptcs to $5 ptcs (US50¢-US65¢/30p-35p) for travel to Colôane. Bus nos. 3, 3A, 10, and 10A travel from the ferry terminal past the Lisboa Hotel to the main street, Avenida Almeida Ribeiro, in the city center and then continue to the Inner Harbour. Buses going to Taipa and Colôane islands stop for passengers at the bus stop in front of the Hotel Lisboa, located on the mainland near the Macau-Taipa Bridge. Bus nos. 11, 22, 28A, 33, and 34, as well as the airport bus no. AP1, travel between Macau and Taipa; bus nos. 15, 21, 21A, 25, 26, and 26A connect Macau, Taipa, and Colôane. The MGTO has a free map with bus routes. For my hotel recommendations below, I provide a list of buses that travel only from the ferry terminal to each individual hotel, but for restaurants and attractions, I list all the buses from throughout the city that that travel to each destination.
There are also pedicabs, tricycles with seating for two passengers. Even as late as the early 1980s, this used to be one of the most common forms of transportation in Macau for the locals. But increased traffic and rising affluence have rendered pedicabs almost obsolete, and I suppose they will eventually vanish from the city scene much like the Hong Kong rickshaw. Today, pedicab drivers vie mostly for the tourist dollar, charging about $150 ptcs (US$20/£10) for an hour of sightseeing, but keep in mind that there are many hilly sights you can't see by pedicab. The most popular route is along the Praia Grande Bay around the tip of the peninsula, and back via Rue do Almirante Sérgio. Be sure to settle on the fare, the route, and the length of the journey before climbing in. You'll find them parked outside the ferry terminal and Lisboa Hotel.
