Cape Taputapu

Cape Taputapu closes the western end of Tutuila, a headland of black rock cut into arches, ledges and blowholes by the surf, with a small forest of native trees behind it and a designated natural landmark covering the whole point. A trail runs out from near Amanave village through the trees to the rocks. The surf on this end of the island is heavy and the shore is sharp lava throughout.

Background

In Samoan the cape is called Tolotolo i Taputapu, and it lies in the Western District. Taputapu means forbidden. The cape got this name because paper mulberry trees grew there and nowhere else on Tutuila, and those who found them kept the site and its bark to themselves so they could sell it elsewhere in American Samoa. It became a National Natural Landmark in 1972, covering 170 acres. The cape figures in Samoan legends, holds a colony of fruit bats and is habitat for intertidal plants and animals. Sunset on Tutuila comes last at this point.

Source: Wikipedia, "Cape Taputapu"

What you'll find

• The sea arches - the openings cut through the rock by the surf.
• The blowholes - the spouts driven up through the lava shelf.
• The native forest - the trees behind the point, unusual in surviving on the coast.
• The westernmost point - the far end of Tutuila.

When to go

May to September is the drier season and calmest. Swell makes the rock shelf dangerous. Cyclone season runs November to April.

Practical notes

The rock shelf is sharp and unfenced and the surge is unpredictable; standing close is dangerous. The trail is unmarked in places. There are no facilities.

Nearby

Amanave village is at the trailhead, and Pago Pago is far east.

Key facts