The northern half of Guam looks nothing like the hilly south. It is a raised limestone plateau, level on top and dropping to the sea in cliffs, with no rivers and a cover of scrubby forest. Much of the population lives here, in Dededo — the island’s largest village by population, with the Micronesia Mall — and Yigo. The northern tip is taken up by Andersen Air Force Base, which is closed to the public.
For visitors the north comes down to a handful of distinct outings. Two Lovers Point, ten minutes from the hotels, is the cliff-top lookout on every itinerary. Ritidian Point, at the end of a long road, is a national wildlife refuge with a dazzling beach, limestone forest and caves holding ancient Chamorro pictographs (CHamoru is the spelling now used on Guam). In between are a snorkelling beach with strange rock formations, a quiet war memorial in Yigo, a dawn flea market and, on the east coast, a rough trail down to a freshwater cave. None takes more than half a day, and all are best reached by hire car.
Highlights
- Sunset over the Philippine Sea from Two Lovers Point
- The white sand and limestone forest of Ritidian Point
- Walking the shore from Tanguisson Beach to the mushroom-shaped rocks
- Breakfast from the food stalls at the Dededo Flea Market
- A quiet moment at the South Pacific Memorial Peace Park in Yigo
- Hiking down to the freshwater pool and latte stones at Pagat
Northern Guam in pictures
How long to stay and where to base yourself
How long: Two Lovers Point needs under an hour and fits into any day. For the rest, set aside a morning for Ritidian — the refuge keeps limited days and its gates shut in mid-afternoon — and add the Yigo peace park on the way back. A full day lets you include Tanguisson Beach or the Pagat trail as well. Keen walkers could happily spend two days.
Where to base yourself: there are essentially no visitor hotels in the north itself. The closest places to stay are the resorts at the northern end of Tumon Bay, around Gun Beach, directly below the cliffs of Two Lovers Point. They are quieter than central Tumon and a few minutes nearer to everything described here, while still within reach of the shops and restaurants of the main strip.
