Areas at a glance
- Agat and the west coast: the start of the loop, with Ga’an Point — Japanese guns on the 1944 landing beach, part of the War in the Pacific park — and then the Sella Bay and Cetti Bay overlooks.
- Umatac and Merizo: the historic far south: Magellan’s bay, the Spanish fort, the lagoon and Cocos Island.
- Inarajan and the south-east: the old village, the natural pools and a wilder, wave-washed coast.
- Talofofo, Ipan and Yona: the east coast back towards Hagåtña — Talofofo Bay with its dark sand and surfers, the falls inland, beach parks at Ipan and Tagachang, and the golf resort in the hills.
Eating and drinking
There are few restaurants south of Agat, and village stores keep short hours. The well-known lunch stop is Jeff’s Pirates Cove at Ipan on the east coast, which you reach about two-thirds of the way round. Otherwise pack a picnic and eat it in a shelter at the Inarajan pools. At weekends you may pass roadside stalls selling barbecue, fresh coconuts or fruit. Carry more drinking water than you think you need.
Money and fuel
Bring US dollars in cash for entry to Talofofo Falls, roadside stalls and small shops, as card machines are not guaranteed. Fuel stations are scarce beyond Agat on the west side and Talofofo on the east, so start with a full tank. Most sights — the overlooks, the fort, the pools, the village monuments and Mount Lamlam — cost nothing.
Safety on the road, trail and shore
Car break-ins happen at overlooks and trailheads: take valuables with you and leave the car visibly empty. On river and waterfall hikes, flash floods are a real danger after rain — turn back if the water is rising or cloudy. The east and south coasts face the open ocean; swim only in sheltered places such as the Inarajan pools, and not when waves are breaking into them. Mobile signal drops out in places, so download an offline map and tell someone your plan if you are hiking.
Good to know
Villages are quiet, religious and family-centred. Dress modestly away from the beach, ask before photographing people, and treat war memorials and churches with care. If the stillness of the south appeals, the island of Rota, a short flight north, is this way of life on a whole-island scale.
Sample plans
One day
Leave Tumon by nine and drive anticlockwise: Ga’an Point in Agat, Cetti Bay Overlook, Umatac and Fort Soledad, then Merizo pier. Swim and picnic at the Inarajan pools, stop for a late lunch at Ipan, and return through Yona and Hagåtña before dusk.
One day with a hike
Start at seven and climb Mount Lamlam first, while it is cool. Be down by mid-morning for Umatac and the fort, cool off in the Inarajan pools after lunch, and finish at Talofofo Bay to watch the surfers on your way north.
Two days
Day one: the west and far south at an easy pace, with time in Umatac, Merizo and Inarajan. Day two: the east coast — Talofofo Falls and Yokoi’s Cave, a river cruise or the off-road jungle drive in Yona, and a slow afternoon at an Ipan beach park.
