Tumon Bay
Many of Guam’s most elegant hotels are situated on the strip of white sand bordering the sparkling blue waters of Tumon Bay. Guam’s favorite playground is bordered at both ends by towering, green cliffs.
Joseph Flores Beach Park
This sprawling territorial park located at Tumon Bay is one of the island’s most popular recreation areas and is better known as Ypao Beach Park. Concerts, contests and other events are held in the park’s large amphitheater, and covered pavilions are used for parties and barbecues. The park also has shower and restroom facilities.
Padre San Vitores Shrine
Just beyond the beach at the north end of Tumon Bay is a shrine marking the spot where Padre San Vitores, leader of the first Spanish Jesuit mission was killed. San Vitores and other Jesuit missionaries visited Tumon village to baptize the infant daughter of Chief Matapang, upon the mother’s request but against the will of the Chief.
Two Lovers’ Point (Puntan Dos Amantes)
Legend holds that a pair of star-crossed Chamorro lovers whose parents would not allow them to marry jumped to their death from this 378-foot cliff. Visitors have a splendid view from this point of the gleaming white-sand beaches and lush hillsides along the Philippine Sea and in central Guam.
CAHA Gallery
The Guam Council on the Arts and Humanities Agency (CAHA) operates a gallery at Two Lovers’ Point. Exhibitions of paintings, sculpture, photography and other media are held regularly and are open to the public free of charge.
Nieves Flores Library
Guam’s main public library, located in the heart of Hagåtña, houses the Guam Room, the repository of virtually all information about Guam. The library features a selected display of museum artifacts of Guam’s history.
Plaza de España
This graceful parkland in the midst of Hagåtña’s bustling business district dates to the Spanish Governor’s Palace, intact until the invasion during World War II. Other structures remain in their original form or have been restored.
Santo Papa as Juan Pablo Dos Monument
Pope John Paul II visited Guam in 1982. This monument was erected in commemoration of the first Papal visit to the Mariana Islands since Christianity was introduced more than three centuries ago.
San Antonio Bridge (To’lai Acho)
This bridge, commonly referred to as Tolai Acho (Stone Bridge), was built in 1800 by Spanish Governor Manuel Muro and was named in honor of San Antonio de Padua. It once spanned the Agaña River between the pre-
World War II districts of San Ignacio and Bilibic. The bridge remained intact and continued to be used after Hagåtña was destroyed during the Liberation of Guam in July 1944. In 1945, during the initial stages of Hagåtña’s rehabilitation, new streets were laid out, the river was filled in, and thewater was diverted to a new outlet into Agaña Bay. Presently, San Antonio Bridge is also the site of the Sirena Statue, a symbol of one of Guam’s more famous legends.
Lujan House
Also known as the Guam Institute, this structure was built in 1915 by Jose Pangelinan Lujan. Included in the Historic Houses of Hagåtña, the institute formerly was a private school.
Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica
This majestic structure is located on the site where the first Catholic church on Guam was constructed in1669 under the guidance of Padre San Vitores. The present building looms above the majestic palm trees and is a familiar landmark in downtown Hagåtña.
Latte Park
As early as 500 A.D. ancient Chamorros built their houses on stone pillars known as lattes. These pillars are notable for their two-piece construction; the supporting column (hala-gi) topped with a capstone (tasa). The Halagi was made from coral limestone and usually carried several miles from the quarry site for installation in the appropriate location. The tasa was made from natural, hemispherical coral heads collected from the reef. In Latte Park, eight of these stones are displayed. These lattes were transferred to their present location in Hagåtña from Me’pu, their original location in Guam’s southern interior.
Fort Santa Agueda
Although there is very little remaining of this rectangular fort built in 1800, a splendid view of Hagåtña and Agaña Bay stretches out below. Government House, the official residence of Guam’s Governor, is adjacent to the fort’s sprawling grounds.
Statue of Liberty
This replica of America’s Statue of Liberty, overlooks the Hagåtña Bay at Paseo de Susana. Erected in 1950 by the Boy Scouts of America in observance of their 40th anniversary, the statue is visible to boats approaching the Agana Boat Basin.
Chamorro Village (I Sengsong Chamorro Village)
Located next to Paseo de Susana, the Chamorro Village public market offers visitors a glimpse into the island’s culture, lifestyle, and cuisine. Vendors sell everything from clothing to handicrafts, bananas to betel nuts. The aroma of freshly cooked local foods emanates from small booths where cooks stir steaming pots of seafood, fried chicken, and other delicacies. The market is a popular lunch spot for local residents and visitors alike, where one can get a hearty meal at reasonable prices. At the main mall, local artisans, such as master weavers, metal smiths, and wood carvers demonstrate and teach their crafts.
Government House
The architectural design of the Government House - the Governor’s official residence - incorporates elements of the Chamorro and Spanish cultural heritage. The building houses a mini-museum of Guam’s antiquities.
Located on Kasamata Hill in Agaña Heights, the residence commands an excellent view of Hagåtña and Agaña Bay. Construction on the original building began in 1952 and was completed two years later. Major reconstruction followed the destruction wrought by Super Typhoon Pamela in 1976, and the expanded structure occupies 22,000 square feet.
Adelup Point
South of Hagåtña, Adelup Point is the government complex where the Governor’s Office and other government agencies are located. There are meeting rooms and a small display of pre-contact artifacts. At the top of the complex is the restored Atkins Kroll building that has become the site of the Latte of Freedom. From this vantage, one can enjoy a panoramic vista of Agana Bay. Below Adelup Complex are a cluster of pavilions available for public use.
For more information, contact:
Governor’s Office
P.O. Box 2950
Hagåtña, Guam 96932 Tel: (671) 472-8931 Fax: (671) 477-4826 |
