Near Air Force Base - Open spaces up north

 

Yigo is the island’s largest and most northern village, encompassing thirty-five square miles. On the map, the village looks like a triangle that stretches from Pati Point to Ritidian in the North and from Ritidian to the coast near Pagat.
 

Yigo is the home to Andersen Air Force Base and has secured access to the beaches of the village. Yigo has numerous housing subdivisions that have sprung up in the last three decades, but it still retains a rural feel thanks to its large open spaces and dense forests supported by some of the richest soil on Guam. Like all northern Guam villages, it sits on top of the Northern Aquifer, which supplies about eighty percent of the island’s drinking water supply.
 

Near Naval Base – Paradise Living”

 

 

While many regard Agat as the western gateway to the south, it is also the commercial center of the south. Numerous businesses - from merchants and restaurants to the seventy-room Inn on the Bay - have sprung up in the once-quiet seaside village in the last twenty-five years. Despite Agat's thriving business center, the old heart of the village that includes Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church, Convent and School, still exists.
 

The seaside village of Agat lies just south of Naval Base Guam. The village's main road, Route 2, meanders through several commercial and residential areas. The road also leads to a group of public buildings, such as the Agat Community Center and mayor's office and a community library and police station. Farther south, Route 2 runs along the coast of some of the finest beaches on Guam including Nimitz Beach. Nearby is the popular Agat Marina.
 

The village of Agat is also home to several parks dedicated to the events of World War II. These parks are part of the National Park Service's War in the Pacific National Historical Park.

 

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PITI, GUAM: Gorgeous coastline and views
 

Most Guam residents know the village of Piti from what they see along Marine Corps Drive, Guam’s main thoroughfare. The first noticeable landmark in the village along Marine Corps Drive when heading southbound is the Piti Underwater Observatory. The observatory juts out from the coastline into the ocean.
 

The Piti coastline is lined by two beach parks: Tepungan Beach Park, with newer pavilions, and the Pedro Santos Memorial Park, with an older, large pavilion and unused basketball court. This area of the coast, known as the Piti Bomb Holes, is a marine preserve, where fishing is now prohibited. This prohibition has resulted in an abundance of fish and other sea life that make the Piti waters popular among divers and snorkelers.
 

Slightly further south, across the road from the ocean, is the New J-Market grocery store and a gas station, just before the Piti Power Plant at the junction of Marine Corps Drive and Route 11, which leads out into Cabras Island. Cabras Island extends into the ocean to form part of Apra Harbor and is further extended by the Glass Breakwater, named after U.S. Navy Captain Henry Glass. On this island is the Cabras Power Plant, the Port Authority of Guam and the Commercial Port. Further out is Family Beach, a secluded recreational spot.
 

The village proper is located just across from Cabras Island, on the cliffside of Marine Corps Drive. The village is a small residential area with curved two-lane roads and a scattering of homes, many of which date back to the decade after World War II. The village’s most prominent features are Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church and the Mike S. Tajalle Baseball Field. The mayor’s office is in a small house-like structure, and the old senior citizen’s center is now being used as a youth center.

 

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ASAN, GUAM (ASAN-MAINA): Coastal village with views of the beautiful sunset
 

The district of Asan-Maina encompasses a large area, including the main coastal village of Asan, the community of Maina nestled in a valley between Nimitz Hill and Agana Heights, and most of Nimitz Hill (also known as Libugon) and land beyond it further inland.
 

The main village of Asan was redeveloped in the 1980s by the Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority (GHURA). The redevelopment changed the village's look from its more traditional Spanish flavor to a fairly modern-looking suburban appearance. The streets were straightened, sidewalks were added and the houses are nearly all concrete with many two-stories high. GHURA still owns many of the houses in the main village, houses that were all built exactly alike, and even painted the same color. Space was limited by the ocean to the west and the hills to the east, which necessitated the two-story structures and small yards.
 

The village sits partly on the hillside of Nimitz Hill and partly on the flat land below it, just in front of the sea. Many of the houses are built on steep roads going up the hillside, reminiscent of San Francisco. The Catholic church, Niño Perdido Y Sagrada Familia (Holy Family), sits at the center of the village, along with the community center and mayor's office.
 

Maina rests in a valley of lush vegetation, bamboo groves and colorful flowers that come right up to the houses and the main road. The small community is spread out along one small, winding main road, one end of which meets the road going up Nimitz Hill and twists its way to the backside of Agana Heights.
 

Southern - Living the true island life

 

 

To the outside eye, the village of Inarajan seems to have been untouched by the hand of change. It is known as the most distinctly Spanish-style village on the island, with the village proper on Inarajan Bay, remaining basically intact over the decades.
 

A visitor could drive through the small Spanish barrio-style streets, which until recently were one-way streets, and see the history of Inarajan in its old houses. The houses reflect a mixture of architecture influenced by the Spanish period and the early American period (the early 1900s).
 

The village retains many of its traditional ways, with the St. Joseph Church still at the center of many activities, including the village’s annual fiestas. Residents of the village are still a small number of families whose roots are deeply entwined in Inarajan. Very few outsiders have moved into the village, and very few modern structures have been erected.


Part of what gives Inarajan its heritage-rich flavor is one of its more recent additions: the GefPa’go Cultural Village, which sits right on the bay. The village, which consists of ancient-style thatch-roofed huts, is staffed mainly by elder Chamorros who demonstrate traditional Chamorro arts, crafts and cooking to visitors.

 

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UMATAC, Guam: Living around the bay provides breathtaking views every day.
 

The small village of Umatac is located in southern Guam along Umatac Bay. The community of Umatac is relatively smaller than others on Guam and made up of a handful of residents, many of whom are related to each other.
 

Interspersed between old houses that sit along the bay’s shoreline are ruins that have become prominent reminders of the Spanish colonial era in the village. Plaques are placed throughout the village that describes the Spanish era to visitors. Remains of the Spanish times include the former Spanish governor’s residence, the site of the old San Dionisio church and several Spanish forts and a battery.
 

A bumpy two-lane road runs through the center of the village, and visitors coming down into Umatac from the steep hills in the north will first notice stones placed into a hillside in the shape of the island of Guam, welcoming them to the village. A couple of small stores and the San Dionisio Church, built at its current location in 1939, sit along the road.
 

The road, with houses built in the first half of the last century, then opens up into a spectacular view of the bay before coming to a small park with a children’s playground built by IT&E in the 1990s. Adjacent to the park is the mayor’s office, right on the beach, with perhaps the best view of any mayor’s office on Guam.
 

At the center of the bay is an obelisk monument to Ferdinand Magellan’s landing in 1521, bearing the inscription, “Magellan landed here.” The bay is also home to some of the island’s best surfing.

 

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MERIZO, GUAM: Between mountain and sea

 

Merizo skirts Guam’s scenic southern shoreline on a long strip of land between mountains and sea.
 

Cocos Lagoon, several miles square and enclosed by a large triangle of the reef, extends about three miles out from the village. Cocos Island Resort draws day visitors to the small, densely vegetated, low-lying strip of land along with the lagoon’s southern exposure. The lagoon is distinguished from the deeper water outside the reef by an array of vivid blues and greens that signify shallow water over sand flats and protected coral gardens. Mama’on Channel, the lagoon’s deep main pass, runs west to east past Merizo Pier and the village boat ramp, gradually shallowing as it cuts farther into the lagoon.
 

FiestanTasi (Festival of the Sea) is held annually in Merizo and celebrates the importance of the ocean to Guam’s past, present and future. It often includes boat races and other water sports competitions and exhibitions. Dates of the festival vary from year to year.
 

On the other side of the winding main coastal road, Route 4, several rivers flowing to the sea from the nearby mountains cut lush valleys through dry savanna foothills. Much of the population lives in these rural valleys, which are mainly residential areas dotted with a few farms and ranches, shadows of the community’s agrarian past.

 

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YONA, GUAM: One of Guam’s largest municipalities, with a southern flavor

 

Yona is the first southern village on the eastern side of Guam. Its boundaries stretch for six miles, from the south side of Pago Bay to the north side of the bridge at Jeff's Pirates Cove in Ipan, Talofofo. The village also extends west on Route 17, or Cross Island Road, from Route 4, or ChalanKantonTasi, to Tarzan Falls, near the Naval Magazine, overlook.
 

Its jurisdiction also includes the area from Pulantat and Manenggon Valley to Lonfit Bridge in Chalan Pago. As such, Yona is one of Guam's largest municipalities in the area and is divided into ten sections: Baza Gardens, Windward Hills, Ylig, Manenggon, CampWitek, Pulantat, Triangle, Central Yona, Tagachang and As Namo.
 

 

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TALOFOFO, GUAM: “God’s Country”
 

Former Mayor Tito Mantanona coined the name “God’s Country” for Talofofo, a nickname affectionately used by many residents and seen on signs throughout the village. At the heart of Talofofo is a four-way intersection recognized as the crossroads of this small village. Anyone giving directions to a location in this village inevitably starts with this intersection, which is also at the heart of economic activity in Talofofo, with three corner stores doing business near the four-way intersection. North from the intersection is the village’s Catholic church, San Miguel Church, as well as the mayor’s office and houses, most of them similar to homes in suburban communities.
 

East from the intersection is the Onward Talofofo Golf Course, after which the road intersects with Route 17, locally known as Cross Island Road.
 

West from the intersection are more houses and Talofofo Elementary School, a sports field, and the Talofofo gym.
 

South of the intersection is the Seventh-day Adventist Church and Notre Dame High School, and as the road heads downhill toward the Talofofosubcommunity of Ipan and Talofofo Bay, it passes the ancient Talofofo Caves.
 

Sitting below the hills of the main village is the coastal community of Ipan, Talofofo. A number of secluded beaches and a scattering of houses, along with a gas station, make up most of Ipan. The area also includes Ipan Beach Park, a popular spot for barbecues. Jeff’s Pirates Cove is located on the northern border of Ipan and has become an institution in the area. It is best known for its relaxed-atmosphere bar and grill, along with a small souvenir store and an outdoor area used for arts and craft fairs, concerts and other gatherings.
 

The southern boundary of Talofofo is marked by the Ugum River (joined by the Talofofo River), which flows into Talofofo Bay. But as the Talofofo Bay park facilities are on the southern side of the bay, the area most people visit in Talofofo Bay is actually part of the neighboring village, Inarajan.
 

Central - Convenient for Students and Families

 

 

The village of Mangilao is located in central Guam. It lies between the villages of Barrigada and Chalan Pago. The village also branches off into subdivisions bordering Dededo and Yigo. These subdivisions include Latte Heights, Latte Plantation, Sunrise Villa, Banyan Heights, and lower and upper Pagat. The village has been called “Guam’s capital of education” because both the University of Guam and the Guam Community College are located there.

 

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BARRIGADA, GUAM: A happening village including one of Guam’s most prestigious neighborhoods, Barrigada Heights 

 

Barrigada is a land-locked village located near the center of the island on Guam's limestone plateau. It stretches from the cliff line overlooking Harmon Industrial Park in the East to Mt. Barrigada in the north. Upscale homes have been developed on Mt. Barrigada along an area known as Barrigada Heights overlooking Tiyan, the interior hills of Guam and the Philippine sea. To the south is the village of Mongmong-Toto-Maite and to the east is the village Mangilao.
 

In the past, Barrigada was a popular ranching area for people from Hagåtña. Today some parts of the village still have a rural feel attributed to the long winding roads that make their way through hills, valleys, dense vegetation and wetlands. Nevertheless, the village of Barrigada is now a heavily populated residential area bordered by considerable commercial development along routes 8 (Purple Heart Memorial Highway), 10 (Vietnam Veterans Highway) and 16 (US Army Corps Drive). The recently returned former federally-designated land located in Tiyan (formerly the Naval Air Station, Guam) has become the site of some government of Guam offices, private businesses, and residential homes.

 

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Mongmong-Toto-Maite, Guam: (Tri-village known as MTM): Right in the center of everything
 

Mongmong-Toto-Maite is located in central Guam, just north of the capital city of Hagåtña. Aside from the airplanes flying directly over the tri-village before landing in the neighboring area of Tiyan, many residents of Mongmong-Toto-Maite find it to be a very quiet and peaceful place to live. Maite’scliffline, with beautiful sunset views, is home to some of the island’s most well-known families, including the Calvo’s, whose attractive homes line the cliff above East Hagåtña.
 

Mongmong and Toto, for the most part, are rural, residential areas. Mongmong runs parallel to Maite and is at the center of the tri-village. It is heavily vegetated and is the most populated of the three villages. Toto borders Barrigada to the north of the other two villages and is known for its winding roads and swamplands.
 

However, there is also a busy industrial side to the Mongmong-Toto-Maite. The area of Maite and Toto along Route 8 between Tiyan and the island’s capital, Hagåtña is primarily an industrial area, filled with warehouses, hardware and furniture stores, mom-and-pop markets, and many popular bargain shops.
 

Mongmong’s Catholic Church is Nuestra Senora de Las Aguas (Our Lady of the Waters). Parishioners celebrate their annual fiesta in honor of their patron saint on the last day of January.
 

The Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Toto celebrates its patron saint’s fiesta on the second or third Saturday of June each year.
 

The village of Maite does not have a Catholic Church and does not have a village fiesta. The Bayview Baptist Church and Son of God Baptist Church are located in Maite.

 

Heart of Guam - This is where all the action is

 

 

Tamuning, also known as Tamuning-Tumon-Harmon is a Municipality or as referred to in Guam a Village located on the western shore of the United States territory of Guam. The village of Tamuning can be viewed as the economic center of Guam, containing Tumon, Harmon Industrial Park, and commercial districts in other parts of the municipality. Its central location along Marine Corps Drive has aided in its development. Tamuning is the site of the access roads and the old passenger terminal of Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport, the passenger airport for Guam. Fort Juan Muña, in Harmon, is a facility for the Guam Army National Guard. The present and former locations of Guam Memorial Hospital, Guam's only civilian and government-operated hospital, are in Tamuning. With Guam's only private birthing center also in the village, most modern civilian births on Guam take place in Tamuning.

For more information about Tumon, click here: TOURIST DISTRICT - BEACHES, RESTAURANTS, NIGHTLIFE...

 

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DEDEDO, GUAM: The island’s most active residential area

 

Dededo is Guam's second-largest and most populous village, encompassing thirty square miles of northwestern Guam. Most of Dededo is located on Guam's limestone plateau and sits above the Northern Aquifer, an important freshwater resource for the island as it provides for about eighty percent of Guam's drinking water.
 

The main sections of this northern village lie on either side of Route 1, officially known as Marine Corps Drive, Guam's main thoroughfare. From a small pre-war farming community, it has become a major commercial and residential center.
 

Dededo is home to the Micronesia Mall, the largest shopping mall in Micronesia, located at the corner of Route 1 and Route 16 (Army Corps Drive). Along Route 16 there are several small stores and other businesses that cater to the area's Filipino residents. Also along this strip is a two-story McDonald's restaurant, the Guam Power Authority main business office, and the gated Iglesia Ni Cristo Church. Along Fatima Road, off the highway, there are several vegetable stands selling local crop products.

 

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HAGATNA, GUAM: A small, history-packed island capital

 

Hagåtña (Hagatna), located in central Guam, is nestled between Agana Bay and the cliffs of Agana Heights. It is considered the first European city in the Pacific because of the early colonization of the Marianas, as compared to the rest of the Pacific. It was declared a city by a Spanish royal decree March 30, 1686, as the capital of the Marianas, the residence of the Spanish governor and the site of the garrison.
 

Guam’s main roadway, Marine Corps Drive, runs through the village from east to west. Another major artery, Route 4, dissects the village from the shoreline to the central part of the island, running east. Hagåtña borders the village of Tamuning in the east and Asan to the west.
 

The capital of Guam, Hagåtña is the seat of the island’s three branches of government: Judicial, Legislative, and Executive as well as the religious center for the Catholic Church. It is also home to numerous commercial activities including legal offices, banks, department/variety stores, insurance, technical and professional services, and restaurants.
 

The cultural resources of the village are significant being home to a large number of Guam’s historical sites. The Hagåtña boat basin (formally known as the Gregorio D. Perez Marina), the Guam Public Library (formally the Nieves M. Flores Memorial Library) and numerous public facilities are also located within the village.
 

As opposed to the island’s historical past, Hagåtña is currently one of the least populated villages on the island. Residential homes primarily are located below the cliff at the western portion of the village.

 

Tourist District - Beaches, Restaurants, Nightlife...

 

As the center of Guam’s booming tourism industry, Tumon (a district of the municipality of Tamuning) is an ideal base for those looking for an unforgettable experience in paradise. The majority of the island’s hotels are located in Tumon Bay, as are myriad white-sand beaches, shopping centers, restaurants and entertainment opportunities. Excellent snorkelling, scuba diving and other water sports can be found just offshore in the crystal-clear Tumon Bay, and there’s a fair number of historical sites to explore as well. If you only have time to visit one place in Guam, Tumon’s got to be it.

 

Endless Opportunities for Fun

Tumon’s prime attraction is its soft, white-sand beaches and brilliant aqua waters. Top spots for sunning and snorkelling include Gun Beach at the north end of the bay, and Ypao Beach, Tumon’s largest and oldest. Ypao is popular with families because it’s got open grassy fields, an amphitheatre, barbecue pits and breezy pavilions. Book a fishing charter or scuba excursion to one of the many reefs, wrecks and caves that lie just a short distance from land or within Tumon Bay Marine Preserve. For a pure adrenaline rush, rent a jet ski or try your hand at parasailing.

Back on land there’s an endless range of activities, including water parks, the Cushing Zoo, zip lining, the tunnel aquarium, magic shows, dinner shows, amusement and thrill rides, dancing, karaoke and festivals. For a moment of serenity, take in views of Tumon Bay at Chinese Park, a monument to Confucius with gazebos and grazing bull statues.
 

Shopping and Dining

The main hotel strip is lined with restaurants featuring both international food and tasty Guamanian cuisine that combines Asian, Spanish and Pacific Island influences into a unique island fusion. Chamorro barbecue, red rice and chicken kelaguen are just a few of the delicious local dishes every visitor must try. Tumon is also Guam’s capital of retail. Many world-renowned fashion designers and beauty brands have boutiques here, in upscale shopping centers such as T-Galleria Guam, Tumon Sands Plaza, Micronesia Mall and The Plaza Shopping Center. For sweet discounts – and deals made sweeter by Guam’s tax-free shopping – don’t miss the annual Shop Guam Festival, which takes place every year from November to February.
 

History and Heritage

Although Tumon is surrounded by modern amenities and comforts, the area has a rich history. WWII relics such as Japanese bunkers (at Tumon Beach) and guns (at Gun Beach) still sit in their original positions, with sunbathers mostly oblivious. For a reminder of the Spanish era, visit the Padre San Vitores Shrine, which marks the site where Chamorro Chief Matapang executed Padre San Vitores for baptizing his daughter without his permission in 1672. Stand underneath the ArchibishopFelixberto Flores statue near Guam Premier Outlets and gaze up at the first archibishop of Guam. And you can’t leave Tumon without visiting Two Lovers Point, the clifftop lookout that is the site of Guam’s most famous legend.