Rota, the Jewel of the Marianas

Back in August I was finally able to visit Rota, the southernmost Mariana Island that lies roughly halfway between Saipan and Guam. Like the other Mariana Islands it has a long history of foreign occupation, though it played a relatively small role in WWII when compared to Saipan, Tinian, or Guam. As of the 2010 census, it was the fourth most populated island in the archipelago (after Guam, Saipan, and Tinian, respectively) with roughly 2500 residents.

Rota (or “Luta” in Chamorro) is sometimes referred to as “the jewel of the Marianas,” and for good reason – it takes the stunning views, picture-perfect beaches, and diverse ecosystems you can find elsewhere in the Marianas to the next level. It’s also the self-proclaimed “World’s Friendliest Island,” a slogan that can be seen on a sign welcoming you to the island as soon as you leave the airport. Part of this designation comes from a local phenomenon known as the “Rota wave” – you’d be hard pressed to pass a car on Rota without its driver giving you a quick wave as they go by.

I don’t have as much to write about Rota as I have about my other island trips; pictures do a much better job of conveying the striking beauty of the island than words ever could. Below I’ve put together a few pictures from my whirlwind couple days of sightseeing (descriptions of each one are in the captions).

Enjoy, and Happy Holidays from Saipan!  🙂

I’Chenchon Park Bird Sanctuary, a wildlife conservation area home to a variety of migratory shorebirds

The quaint little Valentino Hotel, where we stayed

Veteran’s Memorial Park beach

Tonga Cave, which was used as a Japanese hospital during WWII

Me, for scale

Teteto Beach

Songsong Village overlook; in the distance is Wedding Cake Mountain

Taga latte stone quarry

Rota’s upper plateau, the Sabana, which lies at roughly 1600ft and consists of sprawling grasslands

Sign outside the Rota airport