Avenida da República, along the northwest shore of Sai Van Lake, is Macau's oldest Portuguese quarter. There are several grand colonial villas not open to the public here. The former Bela Vista Hotel, one of the most-storied hotels in Asia, is now the residence of the Portuguese consul-general. Nearby is the ornate Santa Sancha Palace , once the residence of Macau’s Portuguese governors, and now used to accommodate state guests. Not too far away are beautiful, abandoned art-deco-inspired buildings.
