Hagåtña — the old colonial name was Agana — is the capital of Guam, though you might not guess it from its size. Only around 1,100 people actually live here, making it one of the smallest capital cities in the world. Yet it has been the centre of island life for centuries: first as a Chamorro settlement, then as the seat of Spanish colonial government, then as a modern American city levelled completely during the Battle of Guam in 1944 and rebuilt from scratch.
The destruction of the war erased most of the colonial architecture, but enough survives to give the place character. Plaza de España, the old heart of the Spanish administration, remains the civic centrepiece — the Chocolate House and the Agana Spanish Bridge survive on its edges. The Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica nearby stands on the site of Guam's first Catholic church, built in 1669. Fort Santa Agueda on the hill above town is the only Spanish fort still standing — it's a short walk up and the view over the bay is worth the climb.
The Guam Museum, opened in 2016, is the best introduction to Chamorro culture and the island's layered history: indigenous settlement, four centuries of Spanish rule, American colonisation, Japanese occupation, and liberation. It's modern, well-curated, and free on certain days. Latte Stone Park, just across town, displays the ancient stone pillars that once supported traditional Chamorro buildings — a quiet and often overlooked spot. For an evening, time your visit to the Chamorro Village night market on Wednesdays.
Hagåtña is easy to combine with a broader circuit of the island. Most visitors stay in nearby Tumon Bay and come here for an afternoon.