Among the many things that visitors to Macau can do, there is visiting the Camoes Garden and Grotto. It is also referred to as the Camoes Garden, and is named after the renowned one-eyed Portuguese poet Luis de Camoes; however, originally the land belonged to a wealthy merchant. Nevertheless, even today, those who visit this place will see the bust of the Poet Camoes regally regarding his former haunting grounds with a keen eye.
It is said that when he was exiled from his European motherland a long time ago and sent to Macau, he used to visit this garden very often and he also penned a few of his best poems here. As a show of respect to him, the day on which he passed away is named “Portugal Day” and all the people of Portuguese origin and even others gather at these premises every year to mark the holiday as well as to remember this great poet, who was and still is, held in high esteem by the local community.
Long before it was converted to a park, it used to be the abode of a businessman who had pet pigeons. Even today if a visitor looks at the Pagoda from a distance, one would notice that the edifices in the setting actually make one think of nests. One must take a moment to imagine the spectacular sight of these graceful gray messengers taking off from the bird house during the height of their occupation of the locality.
After the death of the merchant, the land was then gifted to the government, which made the decision to convert it into this beautiful park. At present, the community of this area comes here for their exercises, for walking pets, and even for walks in the evenings and also to enjoy a game or two with friends and family.
Those tourists and holiday makers who spend time exploring this region while staying at a stylish Macau hotel can visit these verdant surrounds on a morning too, for a leisurely stroll or an invigorating run. The garden is a fantastic arena for your fitness and wellness needs, and is a complementary part of a stay at one of the luxury hotels Macau has to offer, such as the Galaxy Macau Resort Hotel.
Angela Fernando is an impassioned travel writer who composes pieces under the pen name Sumaira Narayan. She loves writing about new and exciting places around the world and hopes to visit them all someday. Google+