Protection zones within Cotai

The Cotai Ecological Protection Area lies near the Lotus Bridge and covers 55 hectares. It is divided into two zones with different access arrangements. Zone 1, about 15 hectares beside the north side of the bridge, is open only on a limited basis. Zone 2, about 40 hectares on the western side of the Cotai reclamation area, is managed openly for public access.

Those boundaries distinguish Cotai’s ecological reserve from wetlands elsewhere on the islands. In particular, the wetland beside Taipa Houses is a separate Taipa site and should not be treated as part of the Cotai reserve. The names may appear close together on a visitor’s mental map, but the designated areas have distinct locations and management identities.

The Environmental Protection Bureau describes guided visits that take participants into limited-access Zone 1 along a nature-learning path. A bird-watching house provides a place to observe birds that inhabit the area, while guides explain plants along the route. The open-management Zone 2 is used to introduce visitors to the mangrove wetland ecosystem.

The standard visit described in the government FAQ lasts about two hours. Seasonal family workshops have also led children along the path to collect plant material and make leaf prints or herbarium-style displays. These are carefully bounded activities: visitors learn from a designated route and observation point rather than freely ranging across the reserve.