Chapel of Our Lady of Penha

Top choice in Macau

LoginSave

This graceful chapel atop Penha Hill was raised as a place of pilgrimage for Portuguese sailors in the 17th century, purportedly by survivors of a ship that had narrowly escaped capture by the Dutch. Most of what you see though came about in 1935. In the courtyard is a marble statue of Our Lady of Lourdes facing the sea; symmetrical staircases lead down to a grotto of the saint, complete with pews and altar. The grey chapel is visible across the lake.

Adjoining the chapel are the living quarters of the bishop. Nicknamed 'Bishop's Palace' though it is by no means palatial, the residence is off-limits to visitors. Penha Hill, also known as Bishop Hill (主教山), can be accessed via Calçada da Penha off Rua Boa Vista.

Transportation

  • bus: 3, 9, 16

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Po Lin Monastery & Big Buddha

    Po Lin Monastery & Big Buddha

    24.37 MILES

    Po Lin is a huge Buddhist monastery and temple complex that was built in 1924. Today it seems more of a tourist honeypot than a religious retreat,…

  • Facade of St Paul's Cathedral, Macau

    Ruins of the Church of St Paul

    0.82 MILES

    The most treasured icon in Macau, the towering facade and stairway are all that remain of this early-17th-century Jesuit church. With its statues, portals…

  • Tai O Fishing Village @ Hong Kong_1821

    Tai O

    21.44 MILES

    On weekends, droves of visitors trek to the far-flung west coast of Lantau to see a fascinating way of life. Here in Tai O, historical home to the Tanka…

  • Mount Fortress gateway, Macau

    Guia Fortress & Chapel

    1.15 MILES

    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,…

  • Sir Robert Ho Tung Library, three storey Macanese mansion, Santo Agostinho Square.

    Sir Robert Ho Tung Library

    0.42 MILES

    This charming building, founded in the 19th century, was the country retreat of the late tycoon Robert Ho Tung, who purchased it in 1918. The colonial…

  • Stilt Houses

    Stilt Houses

    21.52 MILES

    Tai O's remaining stilt houses stand over the waterway, scrunched up against each other for support. Some have ladders descending to boats, the vehicle of…

  • Ká Hó Church of Our Lady of Sorrows

    Ká Hó Church of Our Lady of Sorrows

    5.1 MILES

    Tent-like with a long, slanting roof, like hands in prayer, this church was raised in the Ká Hó leper colony in 1966. It was built for use by the female…

  • Tai O Kwan Tai Temple

    Tai O Kwan Tai Temple

    21.48 MILES

    Tai O's oldest temple, raised in the 15th century (Ming dynasty), is dedicated to Kwan Tai, a deified general known as the God of War. It was renovated in…

View more attractions

Nearby Macau attractions

1. Penha Hill

0.04 MILES

Towering above the colonial villas of Avenida da República is Penha Hill, the most tranquil and least-visited area of the peninsula. From here you’ll get…

2. Avenida da República

0.09 MILES

Banyan-lined Avenida da República, along the northwest shore of Sai Van Lake, is Macau's oldest Portuguese quarter. There are several grand colonial…

4. Mandarin’s House

0.13 MILES

Built around 1869, the Mandarin’s House, with over 60 rooms, was the ancestral home of Zheng Guanying, an influential author-merchant whose readers…

5. MMM Workshop & JUJU Studio

0.14 MILES

A small painting studio that sometimes doubles as an art gallery for paintings and photographic works relevant to Macau. Check their Facebook page to make…

6. Moorish Barracks

0.17 MILES

These former barracks (c 1874) were designed by an Italian in a neoclassical style inspired by Moorish architecture to accommodate Muslim Indian policemen…

7. A-Ma Temple

0.25 MILES

A-Ma Temple was probably already standing when the Portuguese arrived, although the present structure may date from the 16th century. It was here that…

8. Arts Empowering Lab

0.26 MILES

AEL is a non-profit that stages some of Macau's more interesting exhibitions of local art and photography from its headquarters inside an attractive…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "china/macau/macau-peninsula/attractions/chapel-of-our-lady-of-penha/a/poi-sig/1357332/1324547",
  "destination": "Macau",
  "continent": "Asia",
  "country": "China",
  "city": "Macau",
  "position": "superzone"
}