Utulei Beach

Utulei beach sits inside Pago Pago harbour on the western side, a short strip of sand with a park behind it, the territorial government offices nearby and Rainmaker Mountain across the water, and it is where people from the town swim because it is there. The water is harbour water rather than open ocean, which is the compromise. A path runs along the shore and the setting is the drowned crater the harbour occupies.

What you actually see

• The harbour setting - the beach inside the drowned crater of Pago Pago.
• The Rainmaker view - the mountain rising across the water.
• The shore park - the green space behind the sand.
• The convenience - the nearest swimming to the territory's main town.

When to go

May to September is the drier season. The harbour is sheltered in almost any weather. Sundays are quiet.

Honest expectations

This is harbour water beside a working port and water quality is not what it is on the open coast. The beach is small and unremarkable. It works as convenience rather than as a destination.

Nearby

Fagatogo Market is nearby, and Rainmaker Mountain is across the harbour.