MY · Melaka · 2.19°N 102.27°E

portuguese settlement

Kristang seafood by the sea, devil curry and a Dutch hilltop fort above Ujong Pasir.

Best time
Any time of year, in the late afternoon and evening. Around 29 June the Festa San Pedro brings decorated fishing boats, a priest's blessing and branyo dancing on the square; in December the houses put up their Christmas lights. Both draw crowds.
How long
Half a day, into the evening
Getting there
About 2 hours' drive from KL. Ujong Pasir is on the coast south-east of the old town, about 10 minutes away by car or Grab.
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MY · Melakaportuguese settlement2.19°N 102.27°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Kristang seafood by the sea, devil curry and a Dutch hilltop fort above Ujong Pasir.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingPortuguese SettlementMY, Melaka
KLportuguese settlement
≈ 124 km from KL, as the crow flies
Portuguese Settlement, Ujong Pasir, Malacca, Malaysia

Photo: Chongkian · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

The Portuguese Settlement in Ujong Pasir is home to about a thousand Kristang, Melaka's Portuguese-Eurasian community, whose roots go back to the Portuguese conquest of 1511. Climb St John's Fort for the view, then sit down to grilled seafood at Portuguese Square as the evening cools.

Makan

  1. Devil curryCurry debal, the fiery Kristang curry traditionally made with the Christmas leftovers. This is about the only place to order it.Map ↗
  2. Portuguese baked fishFish spread with a spicy sambal and grilled on banana leaf, the dish the square is known for.Map ↗
  3. Stingray and crabCharcoal-grilled ikan pari, and crab done in chilli or butter.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Portuguese SquareMedan Portugis, the seafront square at the heart of the village, with seafood restaurants that fill up after dark and a stage for festival dances.Map ↗
  2. St John's FortA short climb up St John's Hill to an 18th-century Dutch fort built on the site of a Portuguese chapel. Its cannons face inland, where the Dutch expected attacks to come from.Map ↗
  3. Festa San PedroThe fishermen's feast of St Peter, with blessed boats, music and dancing. It was recognised as national intangible heritage in 2025.Map ↗
  4. Christmas lightsIn December the houses are strung with lights and visitors walk the lanes at night.Map ↗

Good to know

  • The square's restaurants serve beer and aren't halal.
  • Climb the fort in the late afternoon. The top is open to the sun and too hot at midday.
  • Parking is tight during San Pedro and Christmas, so take a Grab from the old town.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.