10 Things You Can Only Do on Guam

1. Relive the ancient past at Lina’la’ Chamorro Cultural Park

Guam’s first and original Chamorro cultural theme park recreates Chamorro life 500 years ago. Lina'la' Park rests on an actual Chamorro village, dating over 1,000 years ago. Latte stones, pottery, and other artifacts reveal that villagers lived there until the beginning of the Spanish era in the 17th century.

The park features a visitor center displaying cultural artifacts and a brief film about the Chamorro creation belief. A nature walk filled with tropical flowers, medicinal plants, and fruit trees leads visitors to the recreation of an ancient Chamorro village.

Photo by Cynthia Dial

Visitors are greeted by men and women wearing what looks like traditional garb — a loincloth and small bandeau top for women. When Magellan landed on Guam in 1521, islanders were mostly naked, however, women sometimes wore a small triangular apron called a tifi, or a skirt of grass or leaves suspended from a belt.

2. Dive the world’s deepest ocean

James Cameron made international news in March 2012 when his one-man submersible journeyed to the Challenger Deep, the deepest point of the ocean, some 6.8 miles down. The Challenger Deep is located in the Marianas Trench, just 250 miles southwest of Guam. Guam is home to a handful of dive shops and is a diver’s dream complete with wrecks, vibrant reef systems, and temperate tropical weather.

3. Picnic on Alupang Island

Alupang Island is situated about a mile off the coast of Dungca’s Beach on East Agana Beach Front. Located inside the reef protected from the waves of the Philippine Sea, this uninhabited island is accessible from Hotel Santa Fe and and Onward Beach Resort. Adventurous types can rent jet skis and kayaks and journey to the small beach cove.

4. Experience true island culture at the Guam Island Fiesta Tour

The Guam Island Fiesta Tour (GIFT) introduces visitors into the homes of local families for village fiesta celebrations. They are greeted with shell leis, invited to participate in cultural activities like coconut husking, talaya throwing, and tuba drinking, and are treated to tables laden with authentic Chamorro cuisine.
5. Stand atop the world’s largest latte

Standing atop a prominent stone point overlooking both Asan and Agana bays, the Latte of Freedom monument invites guest to look and learn about culture in the local area and across the island.

6. Pet a coconut crab at Chamorro Village

You may be hesitant to pet the largest land-living arthropod in the world, but go ahead, the coconut crab doesn’t bite.

Coconut crabs can weigh up to 9 lbs. with a leg span of more than 3 feet. Locals are adept at handling the crabs and sometimes keep them as pets. Stop by the Chamorro Village Night Market on Wednesday and Friday for a photo opp of you or someone brave petting the crab.

7. Touch ship wrecks from two world wars

The SMS Cormoran rests 110 feet below the water of Apra Harbor on her port side. The German ship was scuttled at the outbreak of the U.S. entry into WWI.

A Japanese cargo ship, the Tokai Maru, which was sunk during WWII leans up against her screw. The site marks the only place in the world where wrecks from two different countries and two different wars are nearly touching.

8. Go boonie stomping

Locals call it “boonie stomping,” you may know it as hiking. One thing’s for sure: there’s plenty to explore on Guam. From hidden waterfalls to swim holes to arid hills and thick jungles, Guam’s boonie stomps range from easy to difficult, but they’re never boring. Guam Boonie Stompers lead hikes on Saturday mornings for just $2. 
9. Climb the tallest mountain on Earth

Mount Lamlam (meaning lightning in Chamorro), located in the southwestern village of Agat, is the highest peak on Guam.

Though Mount Lamlam is only 1,332 feet high, the distance from the peak to the bottom of the nearby Mariana Trench is perhaps the greatest change in elevation on Earth over such a short distance. The Marianas Trench reaches a maximum known depth of 6.78 miles.

If Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth at 29,040 feet, was set in the deepest part of the Mariana Trench, there would be 6,760 feet of water left above it.

Hikers can reach the mountain trailhead across from Cetti Bay Overlook and summit in about 30 minutes.

10. Ride a carabao

These docile mammoths are the water buffalo of Guam. Weighing up to 2,000 pounds, this national symbol of Guam has been used for centuries in farming.

Visitors can ride the carabao, albeit very slowly, at a few locations around the island, such as Chamorro Village and Fort Senora Nuestra de la Soledad in southern Guam.