Things to Do in Guam: My Island Recommendations
Guam is the part of America where the malls meet the jungle and the Pacific rolls in on both sides. I have returned to this island more than once, drawn back by the mix of duty free shopping, World War Two history, and water so clear it makes you question what you thought a beach was. It is compact, easy, and far more than a layover stop. Here is what I make sure to do.
Set Up Camp on Tumon Bay
Tumon Bay is the tourist heart of Guam, a curve of white sand lined with hotels, and it delivers. I spend at least one unhurried morning here, renting a lounger and floating in the warm water. The snorkeling close to shore is genuinely good, with fish right off the beach. It is the easiest beach day in the region, and the restaurant scene steps straight off the sand for a long lunch.
Look Out From Two Lovers Point
Perched on a cliff at the northern edge of Tumon, Two Lovers Point tells a legend of two lovers who, told they could not be together, tied themselves together and leapt. I walk across the scenic overlook deck and the glass bridge, scanning the ocean below. The view over the reef and the point is spectacular, and the legend is a small window into Chamorro culture. I visit at sunset, when the light turns everything gold.
Dive the WWII History
Guam’s wartime past is everywhere under the water. Sunken Japanese ships and aircraft litter the reefs, and the diving here is among the best in the Pacific for history. On my dives I have swum through wrecks that have become reefs, teeming with life. If you are not a diver, the dry war history is just as rich: old bunkers, pillboxes, and memorials sit along the beaches and in the hills, waiting to be explored.
Spend an Evening at Chamorro Village
In Hagatna, the capital, Chamorro Village is the place to meet the island’s culture head on. On Wednesday nights the market comes alive with food stalls, live music, and dance performances that tell the island’s stories. I eat my way through the local fare, trying kelaguen, a marinated dish, and red rice. It gives you the culture in one loud, tasty, welcoming evening.
Hike to the Falls in the Jungle
Chop off the coast and Guam is thick with jungle, and a hike to a waterfall makes for the best inland outing. I walk the trails through the green, crossing streams and past enormous ferns, to pools where the water falls over the rock. The reward of a swim in a jungle falls pool after a sweaty hike is a feeling I never get tired of. It is a completely different Guam from the beach crowd.
Look Out From Fort Nuestra Señora de la Soledad
The old Spanish fort stands on a hill at Umatac, in the south, overlooking the bay below. I climb to it and get one of the island’s best views, across the water to the village where Magellan is said to have landed long ago. The fort is small and largely restored, but the setting is everything. It traces Guam’s colonial past in a way no museum quite matches.
Snorkel Fish Eye Marine Park
Fish Eye Marine Park sits where the reef drops into deeper water, and it is built around an underwater observatory and an easy snorkeling area. I walk out along the pier and descend into the observatory, where the marine life passes right by the windows. It is an easy, family friendly way to see the reef even if you never put on a mask, and it is one of the most reliable snorkel spots on the island.
Soak Up the Culture at the Guam Museum
In Hagatna, Guam’s museum tells the island’s long story, from the first Chamorro settlers who crossed the ocean, through the Spanish and American eras and the war. I make a point of it because the island’s identity is so often reduced to beaches and shopping, and the museum restores the balance. It is modern, thoughtfully done, and worth an hour before the sunset.
Shop the Duty Free Stretch in Tumon
Let’s be honest, shopping is part of why people come to Guam. The duty free stores along Tumon and the big mall near the beach carry everything from electronics to cosmetics at prices that tourists fly here partly for. I wander the malls in the air conditioned cool during the hottest part of the afternoon, picking up a bargain or two before heading back to the water.
Time Your Trip for the Seasons
My final advice is about when to come. Guam is warm all year, but the dry season from roughly December to June gives the most reliable sunshine, while the wetter months bring more showers and lush green. I have enjoyed it in both, adjusting my plans around the rain. However you time it, rent a car, because the island is small enough to cover, and the best spots are spread out enough that a car changes everything.
