10 Best Historical Tourism Destinations in Guam

Guam is a country located in the Oceania region. In the past, in the era of World War II, Guam became one of the strategic places in the struggle for power in the Oceania region.

So that in this modern era, lots of buildings, weapons, and other historical objects from the era of World War II have become tourist attractions.

In the following, we summarize the 10 best historical tourist destinations in Guam:

1. The War in the Pacific National Historical Park

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In the era of World War 2, The War in the Pacific National Historical Park was a battlefield between the United States and Japanese troops.

After the 2nd world war was over, The War in the Pacific National Historical Park was inaugurated in 1978 as a historical monument that aims to honor the courage and sacrifice of all those who participated in the 2nd world war in the Pacific Theater.

Today, apart from World War 2 monuments and pictures, the park also houses various models of military defenses such as forts and torpedoes used in those years. For tourists who have a hobby of diving, they can come to explore and glimpse military sites such as shipwrecks under the sea.

2. Fort Nuestra Señora de la Soledad

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Fort Nuestra Señora de la Soledad is a defensive fort built during the era of Spanish rule between 1802 – 1819.

Fort Nuestra Señora de la Soledad was the fourth of four forts built in the village of Humåtak/Umatac. The fort was built to reinforce Guam's most famous Spanish-era bay defense.

When visiting this fort, tourists will be spoiled with beautiful views, namely views of villages, bays, steep coastlines, and impressive southern mountains.

3. Fort Santa Agueda

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Fort Santa Agueda is the only surviving Spanish-era fortress in Hagåtña. This fort is located atop the Apugan Hills on the west coast of Guam.

Fort Santa Agueda, also commonly referred to as Fort Apugan. The fort affords impressive views of the village capital Hagåtña, the Philippine Sea, and the sheer cliff line north of Oka Point and Urunao Point.

The fort is also in a prime location for studying the topography of the north island with its raised limestone plateau. However, during the Spanish era, the site was developed for tactical purposes.

4. Plaza de España (Hagåtna)

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Plaza de España (Hagåtna) was an area of the governorship that administered civil and governmental affairs during the Spanish occupation era. This place has a palace that was built in 1736.

After the war between Spain and America in 1898, it became the headquarters of the American Administration and housed the Governor of the Navy.

However, most of the palace was destroyed during the shelling of Guam's capital Hagåtña during the reconquest of Guam in World War 2.

5. Pacific War Museum

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The Pacific War Museum is perfect for tourists who like the history of World War II in Guam. In this museum, tourists can see various eras of the wars of World War 2, such as cannons, army uniforms, war vehicles, and so on.

This museum tells the story of the Japanese occupation and the recapture of Guam by the US Marine Corps. There is quite complete information in the form of pictures, films, and other information about the history of World War II in Guam. In addition, there is a souvenir shop in this museum.

6. Senator Angel Leon Guerrero Santos Latte Stone Memorial Park

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Latte Stone Park is a historic park located in the city of Hagåtña. The park was founded in the 1950s and is operated by the Guam Department of Parks and Recreation. The interesting thing about this park is that there is a series of eight historical latte stones.

The Chamorro tribe, who are local residents of Guam, believe that the latte contains the power of their ancestors, and the spirit of their ancestors lives on.

7. Guam Museum

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The Guam Museum, officially “Senator Antonio M. Palomo Guam Museum & Chamorro Educational Facility”, is a museum focused on the history of Guam, which became a US territory in Micronesia.

This museum was founded in 1980, but for a permanent building that functions as a place to accommodate the new museum collection, it was inaugurated on 4 November 2016 in the city of Hagåtña.

There are various interesting things to see in this museum. Starting with a 7-minute video that tells the history of Guam, tells the history of Guam chronologically, from prehistoric relics to Guam's colonial history, the Pacific War, to modern times.

8. Magellan Monument

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Magellan Monument located in the village of Umatac, this monument is a historical monument erected to commemorate the island's first documented contact with Western civilization.

On March 6, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan, sailing on behalf of the Spanish Crown in an attempt to circumnavigate the globe, anchored his three ships in the deserted island bay of Umatac.

9. Merizo Bell Tower

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The Merizo Bell Tower is a historic building, on Guam Highway 4 in Merizo, Guam.

This bell tower was built in 1914 or 1919. The tower was registered on the US National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Generally, at this location tourists take photos together.

10. Agat Unit | Ga'an Point

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In the era of World War 2, Ga'an Point in Agat was part of the location of the United States troops' southern landing operations in the liberation of Guam on July 21, 1944. The southern landing area is covered from Bangi Island to Apaca Point.

At this time, this area is often visited by tourists because it has a very beautiful beach view. Apart from that, there are a number of World War II legacy weapons that still exist today.

That's information about the 10 Best Historical Tourism Destinations in Guam. Hopefully, the information is useful. Thank you and happy holidays!