Just 44 years after Magellan stopped by in 1521 during his around-the-world voyage, the Chamorro people discovered they were now subjects of Spain. The jungle isn’t kind to civilization, though, so today one of the oldest remnants of this colonization is the Spanish bridge, built in 1800. Across from the Chamorro Village, it’s a reminder of just how long the Chamorro have been dealing with being colonized, and yet have retained their own culture—underneath the bridge is a statue commemorating a local mermaid legend.
