Tarzan Falls Hiking and Fish Eye Marine Park Snorkeling

The last adventure tour that I booked with travel tours company was doing a bit of hiking for a waterfalls and snorkeling. At first, I booked a different tour in another company but unfortunately they are not able to do the tour that I selected due to minimum numbers were not met to be able to operate the tour. Then I looked for another company until I found Tropical Tours Guam. I wanted to see additional places before I leave Guam and I ended up booking a Waterfalls and Snorkeling Tour. I was hesitant at first since the tour includes swimming but in the end I joined the tour.

It was Good Friday and I thought that the tour will not operate since Guam is also considered a very Catholic Island. And from my guide in the tour, as long as the minimum numbers met, the tour will happen even though its public holiday. The tour guide arrived at the front of my hotel’s lobby. And when I hopped inside the car, another tourist was waiting. Matt, our guide introduced me to him and he is a Filipino too. What a lucky day that I will be with a familiar face in the adventure. And he stayed in the same hotel as mine.

Tarzan Falls

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If you looked-up and saw hanging shoes at the parking area, you are in the right location.

We left the hotel and we drove more than half an hour drive towards the south of the island until we reached the car park which is the same as the start of Tarzan Falls trail. The parking area has sign of Tarzan falls which signifies you are at the start of the trail. Aside from parking sign, in the past years there is another way to know you are at the start of the trail, look for shoes hanging in electrical wires. I asked Matt if it’s becoming a tradition that they let the shoes hang in there, but he mentioned that there’s no really story behind the hanging shoes, it’s just that people just leave theirs shoes and other people are doing the same thing probably for just fun. But Matt mentioned, if you will do that, just make sure you will not be caught.

Because it was a sunny and beautiful Friday, hiking the area towards the falls was not difficult, but they said it is different during wet season or even just after the rain. At the start we passed a wind turbine and followed the Tarzan Falls trail. The trail itself is easy to medium and it is just like walking for miles except for few parts of the trail that you need to go up a bit and descend a bit. Then we reached the trail part where we saw the river (Ylig River) where the water falls of Tarzan Falls coming from. It is a sign that the falls is just nearby. We reached the top of the falls and this means that we need to go down further to see Tarzan Waterfalls from the bottom to appreciate more its beauty.

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At the top of the falls

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Looking down from the top of the water fall

We descended to the bottom of the falls to see what it offers to all visitors. Since it was dry season the volume of the water flows was less, not heavy and not forceful. Once we reached the bottom of the falls, I had a great view of the famous waterfalls. Natural waterfalls can really make people feel good about nature, the way I look at it, there is something in waterfalls that make people feel calm and at peace. The sound of the water flows is a unique way to emphasize that there is a great thing to find in nature.

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I took a lot of photos of the waterfalls and after photo shoot time, we tried our best to reach the waterfalls wall even that its slippery. I slowly crawled towards the wall and since I was wearing leggings, it helped me to reached the wall easily and I was able to surpassed the slimy way to the falls. And I looked for some space to sit properly and enjoyed the waterfalls down through my head and my body. We sit with the waterfalls at least half an hour.

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Fish Eye Marine Park

After spending time with waterfalls, we decided to go down the falls, finished the hike and return to where we started. After reaching the parking area, we just dried ourselves a bit before we hopped on back into the car. Then we drove at least 20 mins to Fish Eye Marine Park.

I love water adventure but I am not really good at it because I have less experience and exposure to such adventure. While Matt (our guide) prepared our stuff for snorkelling activity, we sit not far from the beach and enjoyed the scenery at our front. While looking at the underwater observatory not far from the beach, I was thinking what’s going to happen if I am in the water.

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Our guide called us and he gave our gears for the snorkeling. We started the shoes and he handed the fins that we will wear when we are in the water. I also received the tube and lens mask. When he was ready we walked towards the beach and approach the observatory. I walked slowly in the water, following the bridge walkway path and while walking I saw colorful and small fishes. Then I approached where Matt my tourist buddy were waiting. Then I wore my fins, it was the first time that I wore fins. Then, Matt gave a rope that can be my guide while we were approaching the deeper part of the water. I tried to swim as best as I can based on what I had been doing before, but when I did, I drank a lot of sea water and I panicked. Then I tried one more time and the result was the same. I tried again for the third time and I really got nervous. So I decided to not to try anymore. I felt unease.

Because I was not comfortable swimming using the snorkeling gear, I just swam as I can while Matt was guiding the rope. We reached where the observatory stands and there were few people near on it. At that location I tried to lookdown few times to see under the water. I saw turtles but I just stayed where I was and let them (Matt and my tourist buddy) enjoy the water, they swam both together as I don’t want to spoil their enjoyment. At that time, I was a bit sad because I wanted to swim but I was scared. But I knew that I can swim because I was wearing life vest, but I wasn’t able to do it because I was not comfortable with fins in my feet, not sure why.

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Tepungan Beach

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We spent more time under the observatory. And before we decided to return, I looked down under the water again to see one more time the colorful fishes and turtles that just live normally under the water even there are people enjoying diving and swimming in the area.

After the adventure, we had our lunch not far from the hotel that we were staying before Matt dropped us in our hotel.

View At My Window : Tarzan Falls and Ylig River

View At My Window (Post#31): Tarzan Falls

Tarzan Falls is famous because the trails towards the falls are good for any type of hikers. The trail also offers not only landscape scenery but a good exercise like nature walk or trip. The Tarzan Falls itself can be enjoyed in any season. During my visit it was dry season which pretty much easier to hike than wet season. The water that flows Tarzan Falls is part of Ylig River. These photos are part of Guam Adventure Photo Collection April 2017.

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Eco Hiking and Cave Swimming at Pagat

In my second day with Guam Adventures, I did an Eco Hiking Adventure to Pagat Point and a swimming at Pagat Cave. I was only their customer to the said adventure but still they pushed the tour even I was alone who signed-up the tour for that day.

Forgive me as I forgot the name of my guide, but I do remember that he was a mixed Chamorro and Filipino race. His facial features was a familiar one to me as he looks like a Filipino, but he doesn’t speak my language. Three of us went to Pagat. His Japanese woman colleague drove and dropped us to the site which just around 10 minutes away from their headquarters.

The parking was the starting point of the adventure. The hike category was easy to medium but having a guide is a good thing for a new foreign visitor as there is trail that leads to the Pagat Point and leads to the cave which a bit tricky which way you wanted to be first.

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Trails before we reached the Pagat Latte Site

Pagat Latte Site

Along the hike we found an ancient latte stones and some of basalt mortars which both evidences that Pagat was once location of ancient Chamorro Village. Based on history Pagat is one of the four that has been recorded with latte sites on the North East side of the island. “Pagat” means to counsel or advise in Chamorro Language.

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Ancient Basalt Mortar where frogs used it as resting haven for a while.

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Latte Site, where a house stands before as we see 8 pillars

Our trek continues in a densely forest which really great in summer where the hike is really comfortable as the trail covered by trees. I observed during the hike that we were descending and I realized the reason why until we reached Pagat Point.

Pagat Point

When we were out of the forest and as we approached the coast, I saw another spectacular scenery in Yigo Guam. We walked towards what they call the “Arch” where I was amazed how wonderful the scenery when looking down with the arch. Not far from the arch, we rested to enjoy and appreciate the natural beauty of our surroundings. Listening to the waves that struck the coast and the cliff back and forth were really nice to hear. Aside from resting in the area, we had our snacks and photo shots of myself with the scenery. The scenery are the worth prizes or rewards after the hike.

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They call it as Arch with an obvious reason

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Coast

After the Arch scenery, the coast is the next big thing for me. The coastline cliff are all amazing. The scenery is not typical coastal view, the cliff limestone makes it more dramatic. And the waves that strikes back and forth to the coast make it so beautiful that creates variety of hue in the shoreline.

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The limestones along the coast make the scenery so spectacular that I really enjoyed it. Just beware as the limestone may cut your skin if you will not be careful. The scenery makes me want more of it, if only my camera are able to capture all the beauty that I was enjoying at that time.

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If the coast side offers amazing blue color with the shoreline, the land portion of Pagat towards the inland offers surroundings with natural green setting that’s so nice to see.

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After enjoying and appreciating amazing scenic views in Pagat Point, we decided to move again to reach Pagat Cave.

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Pagat Cave

We hiked back from Pagat Point towards the cave. We trekked back by partially ascending but then we descended again until we found the cave. I prepared and put my life vest. Before we entered the cave, we found people going outside and we let them out first before we get in. We talked to the people who came out from the cave. Then, we decided to go inside. My buddy and my guide left his bag in dry area inside the cave before we go to the main area of the cave.

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We went down to the cave and immediately the depth of the water were almost knee-depth. Then we move forward towards the center of the cave where the water is at least my shoulder depth. I am not really good in swimming, I learned the basic swimming from college as my physical education subject. And I was able to do free style in a pool but when the depth of the water is beyond my height, I am not really that confident.

My guide talked a lot of stuff while we both enjoy the water inside the cave. Aside from talking to him with different stuff, I went to the deepest part of the cave and had my souvenir photos.

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After having a great time inside the cave, we decided to go back. One thing that I can say when we went back. If hiking or trekking towards Pagat Point is easy to medium, going back is quite more challenging because anyone will catch their breath as its more on assault hike. Going down is easier than going up.

Note:
Photo(s) with no marker – courtesy of Guam Adventures (licensed photos)