Merizo

Merizo, or Malesso', sits at Guam's southern end on a sheltered lagoon, with a bell tower of 1910 built in the Spanish style standing separately from its church, and a convent building of 1856 - the oldest continuously occupied building on the island - nearby. The pier here is where boats leave for Cocos Island across the lagoon. The village keeps a strong Chamorro character and its fiesta and the Malesso' fishing tradition are still central to it. The village name in Chamorro is Malesso', and both forms are used. A tsunami struck the settlement in the nineteenth century and the village was rebuilt on its present ground.

What you actually see

• The bell tower - the free-standing Spanish-era campanile.
• The convent - the period building beside the church.
• The pier - the departure point for Cocos Island.
• The lagoon - the sheltered water in front of the village.

When to go

December to June is the drier season. The village fiesta falls in the middle of the year. Typhoon season runs July to November.

Honest expectations

The village is small with limited facilities. The bell tower is exterior only. Boats to Cocos run on a schedule and stop in the afternoon.

Nearby

Cocos Island is offshore, and Umatac is northwest.