Guam

Guam - map

 

Wikipedia article about Guam

 

Main attractions

Guam – the largest island in Micronesia – is 541,3 km² large. The landscape of this island has been modified to a large extent by US military bases and multiple settlements but nonetheless there have been preserved interesting natural and archaeological landmarks.

Highlights of Guam are:

• Caves with petroglyphs and cliff paintings. Petroglyphs of Guam might seem not too spectacular but some of them are truly interesting and mysterious.
• Karst features. Island has very high number of caves, sinkholes and powerful springs.
• Latte stone sites. Here and there in the jungle still are found mysterious megalithic structures of Chamorro people – latte stones.

Natural landmarks

Caves and sinkholes

• Amantes Pit Cave – northeastern part. A narrow, 6 m wide and 45 m deep pit - a hole in otherwise flat meadow.
• Matt’s Cave – northern part. Large submarine cave, explored length – 200 m, going up to 65 m deep below the sea level.
• Piggy Cave – northeastern part. A 120 m long cave with pools and waterfalls.
• Tarague natural wells – northern part. A group of eight sinkholes with vertical walls. Sinkholes are up to 20 m deep, reaching up to 12 m below the sea level.

Springs

• Coconut Crab Cave spring – northern part. Powerful spring, discharging 225 l of fresh water per second in the ocean. Located at sea level.
• Janum Spring – northeastern part. A powerful spring, discharging directly in ocean. It contains a high quality water, which after heavy rain might become reddish.
• Natural Arch Spring – northern part. A collapsed cave with a large natural arch at the sea. Powerful spring flows in the ocean.

Waterfalls

• Cetti Falls – southwestern Guam. Beautiful set of 7 waterfalls.
• Sigua Falls – central Guam, south from Hagåtña. Beautiful, impressive waterfall.
• Talofofo Falls – 9 m tall, fine waterfall on Ugum River.
• Tarzan Falls – south from Hagåtña. Waterfall with five steps, the lower one is 12 m tall, in a beautiful jungle setting.

Other natural landmarks

• Limestone forest – northern part, in the area of Andersen Air Force Base. Last remnants of the original tropical forest of Guam. Contains many rare and endemic species of plants.
• No Can Fracture – northwestern part. Very narrow canyon. At the base of this canyon is water – freshwater above and salt water below.
• Rock of Fu’una in Fouha Bay – southeastern part. 45 m tall rock spire. Site of legends – according to Chamorran stories here is the resting place of goddess Fu’una – creator of the world.
• Serianthes nelsonii tree in Ritidian Point – northern part. The only mature specimen of this species of tree in Guam.

Man made landmarks

Megalithic monuments

• Latte Stone Park – Hagåtña. Archaeological park, where eight latte stones are displayed, transferred here from the other parts of Guam. Latte stones are prehistoric megalithic structures – large, erect stones with a rounded capstone on them. The rounded capstone has a flat top. It is speculated that latte stones formed a foundation of houses. There are some 270 sites with latte stones in Guam.
• Urunao beach latte stones – northern part of island. A group of megalithic structures – latte stones in their original setting. This is the site of an ancient village, with wells.

Petroglyph sites

• Gadao’s Cave – southeastern part. A cave named after a legendary chief Gadao, contains some 50 prehistoric petroglyphs and white cliff paintings. These petroglyphs represent human drawings, diverse undeciphered symbols, one drawing shows a fish.
• Ritidian burial Caves and Starcave complex – northern part of island. Cave with amazing petroglyphs from circa 1000 AD. Some authors consider that one of them depicts constellation of Orion and other - stars.
• Talagi Cave – northern part. A cave with petroglyphs near the site of prehistoric village. 13 petroglyph are visible now, most show people.
• Talofofo Caves – southeastern part. A system of six caves with prehistoric petroglyphs. One of caves has a natural arch - Talofofo's Kissing Rock. Many petroglyphs show stars in the sky and may have served to memorize the stars for orientation during the sea voyages.

Other man made landmarks

• Agana Spanish Bridge – Hagåtña. Old bridge, built of stone and concrete in 1800.
• Gef Pa’go cultural village – southeastern part. An ethnographical village which illustrates the material culture of Chamorro people.
• Puntan Hugua Humaguiya (Puntan Dos Amantes, Two Lover’s Point) – northern part. A spectacular, 115 m tall seaside cliff. Site of legends – two lovers tied their hair here and jumped off the cliff.
• Tailafak Bridge (Taleyfac Bridge) – Hagåtña. Old Spanish built bridge, constructed in 1785.
• Yokoi’s Cave – southern part. A cave where in 1944 – 1972 hid Japanese soldier Shoichi Yokoi.