Vaitogi | |
|---|---|
Village | |
| Etymology: Samoan: "water thrown" | |
  Vaitogi | |
| Coordinates: 14°21′S 170°44′W / 14.350°S 170.733°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| Territory |  American Samoa |
| County | Tuālāuta |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.25 sq mi (03.25 km2) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 1,921 |
| • Density | 1,500/sq mi (590/km2) |
| Demonym | Vaitogian |
| Time zone | Samoa Time Zone |
| ZIP code | 96799 |
| Area code | +1 684 |
Vaitogi is a village in American Samoa. It has many missionaries and tourists who are attracted by shopping for local products. Vaitogi might be most famous of its legends about the Turtle and Shark (Laumei ma Malie). It is said that once, at a time when food was scarce, an old woman took her granddaughter to the bluff at Vaitogi, and holding hands, they leaped into the sea down below. While the young girl was transformed into a shark, the blind grandmother became a turtle.[1] It gives its name to a local U-shaped cove in town, which was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
Fogāma'a Crater Trail is a 3-mile (4.8 km) roundtrip hiking trail in Vaitogi. The trail goes by two scenic beaches before ending at the junction with the Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary Trail.[2] Fogāma'a Crater is a National Natural Landmark.
It is home to Tessarea Vaitogi Inn, which is a hotel in town.[3][4]
- ^ Stanley, David (2004). Moon Handbooks South Pacific. Moon Handbooks. Page 480. ISBN 9781566914116.
- ^ "Day Hikes" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
- ^ National Geographic Society (2001). National Geographic Guide to the National Parks of the United States. Page 215. ISBN 9780792270287.
- ^ Oswald, Michael Joseph (2017). Your Guide to the National Parks: The Complete Guide to All 59 National Parks. Stone Road Press. Page 714. ISBN 9781621280682.