Historic Guam village on a sheltered southwestern bay, associated with Magellan's 1521 landing.
Umatac is a historic village on the southwestern coast of Guam, set in a sheltered bay below steep green hills. It is the site where Ferdinand Magellan landed in March 1521, the first European contact with Guam, and the village celebrates this with a re-enactment festival each year in early March.
The bay is one of the most scenic on the island, lined with Spanish-era ruins and an old fort. Umatac is quiet and largely undeveloped, making it a sharp contrast to the resort hotels of Tumon Bay. The drive south along the coast from Agana through Umatac is one of the most scenic routes on Guam, passing through several traditional villages and offering views over the Pacific.
Guide
Getting There
Umatac is about 22 km south of Hagåtña, Guam's capital. There is no regular public bus service to Umatac, so a car is effectively required. The drive south from Hagåtña via Marine Corps Drive and Route 2 takes about 30 minutes and is one of the most scenic on the island, passing through the villages of Agat, Santa Rita, and Merizo and offering repeated views of the Philippine Sea.
The southern coastal road continues past Umatac to Merizo and Inarajan — if you have a car for the day, the whole southern loop is worth doing, returning to Hagåtña via the eastern side of the island.
