Pagat – The Hidden Panorama

Top 12 Places Visited in Guam

Have you visited Guam? Do you have favorite place that you visited in the island? Here’s my top places that I visited in the island based on my preferences. I hope it helps you to create your own list when planning to visit Guam – one of the US Territory in the Pacific.

Top 1 – Pagat Point and Pagat Cave

This is my favorite spot that I was able to reached while traveling around the island. This is the place that requires hiking which means you need an effort to see the place. Pagat Point is one of the amazing lookout or viewpoint to appreciate in the island. The Pagat Cave is an added bonus for the adventures that wanted to have activity with the nature.

Top 2 – Tarzan Falls

I love this falls because it requires me to do a hiking even though it was not really a mountain. Another falls that I discover as part of my travel adventures. And I had a great time sit on its walls and enjoys the waterfalls.

Top 3 – Fish Eye Marine Park

Though I was scared in swimming a deep-sea water and even I was uncomfortable with my fins, I still love this place because of the colourful fishes under the water. I just need more exposure and experience with similar adventure.

Top 4 – Guam Adventures Yigo

I love the lookout where I had a chance this paradise view from the top. Though it was not that long rest after buggy off-road adventure but its worth of a rest to appreciate such kind of scenery.

Top 5 – Asan Bay Overlook and Libugon Vista Point

Asan Bay Overlook now offers panoramic view of War In the Pacific National Historical Park in Nimitz Hill, Asan Bay and Fish Eye Marine Park. It also a reminder of its significance on the freedom of Guam from Japanese.

Libugon Vista Point offers birds-eye view of Tamuning, the islands’ international airport and Barrigada.

Top 6 – Two Lovers Point

The most accessible point to appreciate the beautiful scenery of Tumon Bay and the shorelines that surrounds it.

Top 7 – Fort Soledad

Fort Soledad offers a scenic view of Umatac Bay and emphasize its fortification of once rich village of Umatac.

Top 8 – Fort Santa Agueda

A fort that offers the view of capital city of the island which is Hagatna.

Top 9 – Hagatna Heritage Walk

A learning walks to discover the historical importance of the city and understanding how the history shaped the island right now.

Top 10 – Chamorro Village

A gluttony adventure indeed in Chamorro Village every Wednesday where different kinds of people get out to have fun inside the village either through shopping of different kind of cultural souvenirs and to be fill the empty stomach.

Top 11 – Tumon Bay

The most tourist populated area in the island. Whether you enjoy the walk like I did in the bay or have an adventure in the water will fill-up your time here.

Top 12 – Tamuning

Walking in the city is not bad at all, if you just wanted to chill in the city, the island has Tamuning where you can enjoy the city life of the island.

7 Best Lookout (Viewpoint) in Guam

During my visit in Guam, I had a chance to explore different lookouts or viewpoints in the island that gave me a chance to see its different beauty from different locations. There might be more lookouts in the island that I haven’t seen, but for the starter, here’s the 7 viewpoint that I had a chance to reached.

1. Two Lovers Point

This is the most famous and most accessible viewpoint in Guam. It offers one of the scenic view in the island.

2. Guam Adventures Yigo

I am not sure if this viewpoint is accessible to people who don’t join the Buggy Off-road Adventures but during the said adventure the North-East Coast scenic view is so lovely that I even think that I was looking at a paradise view from a distance at the top.

3. Pagat Point

This point requires hiking to reach and to have a chance to see the coastal scenic view. The Pagat Arch is the added bonus at the point.

4. Fort Santa Agueda

The overlooking at the top of Apugan Hill or Fort Santa Agueda, offers the West-Coast scenic view of the island and Hagatna City.

5. Asan Bay Overlook

This viewpoint offers the South-West scenic view and the birds-eye view of War in the Pacific National Historical Park.

6. Fort Soledad

This viewpoint of Southern Part of the island with the emphasis of Magellan Landing Site and historical Umatac Bay which significant during Galleon Trade.

7. Libugon Vista Point

This unnoticed viewpoint offers scenery of the famous Tamuning area, Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport and Barrigada Hill.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

Featuring Our World : Pagat Point

Featuring Our World (Post#7) : Pagat Point

Once we reached the Pagat Point, I fall in love with the place. I remembered what I saw when we stopped a bit in Yigo in the middle of Buggy Off-Road adventure. If the scenery of the coast from the top is amazing the scenery of the coast up close are more than that. The clear ocean water and the waves that strikes the coastal cliff seems to be one of a kind. The way I looked at my surroundings, I thought I was in another world or another planet as for me it was additional paradise that I witnessed. And the uniqueness added to the place are the limestones formed around the area. These photos are part of Guam Adventure Photo Collection April 2017.

View At My Window : Pagat Arch

View At My Window (Post#28) : Pagat Arch

When we were out of the woods and when we were in an open area, few meters towards what they used to call as Pagat “Arch”, coming from a distance it seems that it was just nothing as I was already amazed with coastal view. But when, I was few steps away to see the water with the said arch, I was ecstatic to see such scenery. I admired the arch and the water seen below which shows how clean and clear the water is. These kind of scenery are one of the reasons I love Pagat Point. These photos are part of Guam Adventure Photo Collection April 2017.

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Discovery : Pagat Latte Site

Discovery (Post#27) : Pagat Latte Site

After hiking for more than half-an hour, in the middle of the forest in Pagat, we reached one of the Latte Site which considered an ancient latte site. Based on history, the latte site is considered lived by people between 10th to 17th century. These Latte stones are the foundation of the Chamorros home. These photos are part of Guam Adventure Photo Collection April 2017.

Life Of Others : Living Frog at Ancient Basalt Mortar

Life Of Others (Post#11) : Living Frog at Ancient Basalt Mortar

During the hike in Pagat, since the area is protected and being preserve as it is a national historical site, we found a relics of Basalt Mortar used by local Chamorros even before Spaniards arrived. And while my buddy guide telling about the basalt mortar, we found these living organism resting inside the mortar. These photos are part of Guam Adventure Photo Collection April 2017.

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