The island of Guam, located in the Mariana Island chain in the Pacific Ocean, is home to an unbelievable amount of history. Mostly known for its World War Two history (and the American invasion to retake the island in 1944), Guam has much more to offer to the curious visitor. In fact, Spain has had ties to Guam for hundreds of years and today, there remains a few tangible relics around the island- most notably, Fort Nuestra Señora de la Soledad!
History
The island of Guam has served as a convenient stop for ships transiting the wide Pacific Ocean for hundreds of years. Beginning around the year 1565, Spanish ships transited between Acapulco, Mexico and the Philippines. In order to survive this nearly 9,000 mile journey, these ships had to stop at Guam to rest, refit, and load up fresh water and provisions. Spanish galleons stopped in Umatac Bay on Guam’s southwest coast.
Naturally, Spain fortified and protected Umatac Bay to ensure there was a safe and reliable harbor for its ships. Accordingly, between 1680 and 1810, Spain constructed four different fortifications overlooking Umatac Bay. The imposing stone structures and cannons looming over the bay deterred pirates and privateers from attacking the often rich-laden ships.
By the early 1800s, Governor Alexandro Parreño began building the last fortification that would protect Umatac Bay. Construction was completed around 1810 and the new fortification was named Fort Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, “Our Lady of Solitude.” It was built atop Mount Chalan Ahiti (“Path of the Ancestors”) and was made of mamposteria, which is a type of masonry using stone rubble and mortar to build walls and structures. The fort mounted seven guns along a barbeta, had quarters built for the soldiers garrisoned at the fort, and even had an arsenal. Built about 224 feet above the bay, the fort had a commanding view of the harbor and served its purpose well.
Fort Nuestra Señora de la Soledad served as an active military garrison for only a few years. By 1815, Spanish galleons had stopped transiting between Mexico and the Philippines due to political unrest from the Mexican Revolution. In 1819, a visiting French explorer made note that the fort looked white and boasted four cannon. Soon thereafter, the fort ceased to serve a purpose and it was abandoned.
During World War Two, Guam was Japanese occupation from December 1941 until July/August 1944. Additionally, the island experienced heavy bombardment and fighting during the American invasion in the summer of 1944, which apparently caused some damage to the fort. To make matters worse, treasure hunters have picked apart the fort over the years, further hastening the fort’s demise.
The fort was eventually made a park and in 1974, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In the 1990s, the fort underwent restoration; however, it remains a shadow of what it once was.
Our Visit & Recommendations
I spent a few weeks on the island of Guam, which enabled me to really take time to explore all of the historic sites. Yet I only made it to Fort Nuestra Señora de la Soledad one time and I really wish I would’ve returned. It is located off of San Dionisio Drive in Umatac, Guam, on the island’s southwestern coast.
The basic design of the fort can still be seen today, though much of it is in ruins. The most iconic and recognizable portion that remains is the sentry structure, which a soldier would’ve used to keep watch over the entrance to Umatac Bay (of course, the stone served as protection to the soldier).
Fort Nuestra Señora de la Soledad offers stunning views of Umatac Bay and the vast Pacific Ocean- a visit to the fort makes it easy to see why that location was chosen to defend the harbor. Interestingly, while you are standing amidst so much history, a look down into Umatac Bay and the shoreline will unveil something even more fascinating.
On March 6, 1521, famous explorer Ferdinand Magellan landed on the island of Guam in Umatac Bay. This stop was during his fateful journey around the world- a journey that he would not survive (he was killed on the island of Mactan just over one month after his stop in Guam, on April 27, 1521). Today, an unassuming monument stands in honor of this historic visit and an annual “Discovery Day” festival is held, which celebrates local Chamorro culture.
Though the fort was designed to have seven cannon mounted, today there are three on display. Much like the rest of the fort, all three cannon were dismounted and in extremely poor condition (the wooden carriages were all but rotted or destroyed). They are really cool to see, but I hope they are restored one day!
Our visit to Fort Nuestra Señora de la Soledad was a short one. But while there is not much to do, the views alone are worth it. I really enjoyed learning about the Spanish history on the island of Guam and actually visiting one of the sites associated with that history made it all come to life. If you ever get a chance to visit Guam, a drive along the coast and a stop at Fort Nuestra Señora de la Soledad is definitely worth it!
